CINXE.COM
bottom line meaning, origin, example, sentence, history
<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head><meta charset="UTF-8"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>bottom line meaning, origin, example, sentence, history</title><style>img:is([sizes="auto" i], [sizes^="auto," i]) { contain-intrinsic-size: 3000px 1500px }</style><meta name="description" content="bottom line idiom meaning, origin, examples in a sentence, dark meanings, definition, synonyms, interesting facts, backstory, and the history of the phrase."><meta name="author" content="laddi"><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.theidioms.com/bottom-line/"><link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.theidioms.com/bottom-line/"><meta property="og:title" content="bottom line"><meta property="og:type" content="article"><meta property="og:url" content="https://www.theidioms.com/bottom-line/"><meta property="og:image" content="https://idioms.a2hosted.com/image.png/?=249"><meta property="og:description" content="bottom line meaning, origin, example, sentence, history"><script async crossorigin="anonymous" data-type="lazy" data-src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1567729832356028"></script><link rel="preconnect" href="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/"><link rel="preconnect" href="https://adservice.google.com/"><link rel="preconnect" href="https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/"><link rel="preconnect" href="https://www.googletagservices.com/"><link rel="preconnect" href="https://tpc.googlesyndication.com/"><link rel="preconnect" href="https://fundingchoicesmessages.google.com/"><link rel="preconnect" href="https://www.google.com/"><link rel="preconnect" href="https://www.gstatic.com/"><style>html,body,div,span,applet,object,iframe,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,p,blockquote,pre,a,abbr,acronym,address,big,cite,code,del,dfn,em,font,ins,kbd,q,s,samp,small,strike,strong,sub,sup,tt,var,dl,dt,dd,ol,ul,li,fieldset,form,label,legend,table,caption,tbody,tfoot,thead,tr,th,td,header,nav,main,article,footer,aside,hr{border:0;font-family:inherit;font-size:100%;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0;outline:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline}:focus{outline:0}body{line-height:1}*,:after,:before{-webkit-box-sizing:border-box;-moz-box-sizing:border-box;box-sizing:border-box}ol,ul{list-style:none}table{border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0}caption,th,td{font-weight:normal;text-align:left}blockquote:before,blockquote:after,q:before,q:after{content:""}blockquote,q{quotes:"" ""}a img{border:0}input[type="search"]::-webkit-search-cancel-button{-webkit-appearance:none;height:20px;width:20px;margin-right:10px;background:#fff url("data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 24 24' fill='%23777'><path d='M19 6.41L17.59 5 12 10.59 6.41 5 5 6.41 10.59 12 5 17.59 6.41 19 12 13.41 17.59 19 19 17.59 13.41 12z'></svg>");cursor:pointer;border-radius:99px;opacity:0.6}body{background:#f9f9f9;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Roboto,Helvetica Neue,Arial,Noto Sans,Segoe UI,sans-serif,Apple Color Emoji,Segoe UI Emoji,Segoe UI Symbol,Noto Color Emoji;color:#444}p{line-height:33px;margin:0 0 24px 0}strong,b{font-weight:600;color:#000}a,a strong{color:#0045a0;text-decoration:none}a:hover,a strong:hover{color:#3197fd}.container{position:relative;margin:0 auto}img{max-width:100%;height:auto}input,textarea{-webkit-appearance:none;font-family:'Segoe UI','Cambria','Corbel',Arial,sans-serif;color:#333;font-size:16px}.alignleft{display:inline;float:left;margin-right:1.5em}.alignright{display:inline;float:right;margin-left:1.5em}.aligncenter{clear:both;display:block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}small{font-size:small}em{font-style:italic}sup{vertical-align:super;font-size:smaller}hr{border:0;margin:50px auto 40px auto;max-width:100%;background-position:50%;box-sizing:border-box;border-width:0 0 1px;color:#2196f3;border-image:linear-gradient(90deg,rgba(135,206,235,0),#2196f3 50%,rgba(135,206,235,0) 100%) 0 0 100%;border-style:solid}#content{margin:10px 0 0 0;clear:both}blockquote{padding:22px 15px 0 25px;margin:25px 0;overflow:hidden;background:#e1f5fe;color:#01579b;border-left:2px solid #01579b;border-radius:0 10px 10px 0}blockquote strong{color:#01579b}blockquote a{color:#00b4ff}#hh{position:sticky;top:0;z-index:5;background:#fff;border-bottom:2px solid #e8eaed}.lg{width:200px}.tn,.tn ul,.tn ul li,.tn ul li a,.tsb,.tsb form,.sb,.sb input{display:inline;position:relative}.tn{margin:0 0 0 40px;clear:both}.tn ul li a{line-height:65px;padding:0 15px;color:#000;font-size:16px;font-weight:600}.tn ul li+li:before{color:#aaa;content:"\002F";font-size:16px}.tsb{margin:0 0 0 50px}.sb{position:relative;height:40px;vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block;clear:both}.sb input{position:absolute;right:0;top:0;width:44px;height:44px;margin:-2px 0 0 0;border:2px solid #ccc;border-radius:999px;padding:0 20px;vertical-align:middle;color:#666;background-color:#f9f9f9;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=UTF-8,%3csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' fill='%23999999' width='50' height='50'%3e%3cpath d='M21 3A16.99 16.99 0 0 0 4 20a16.99 16.99 0 0 0 17 17c3.355 0 6.461-.984 9.094-2.656l12.281 12.281 4.25-4.25L34.5 30.281C36.68 27.422 38 23.879 38 20A16.99 16.99 0 0 0 21 3zm0 4c7.199 0 13 5.801 13 13s-5.801 13-13 13S8 27.199 8 20 13.801 7 21 7z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e");background-size:24px;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:7px;transition:all .5s ease}.sb input:focus{width:300px;padding:0 0 0 40px}.sb input::placeholder,.sb input::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:#333}input[type="search"]::-webkit-search-cancel-button{background:#ff0000 url("data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 24 24' fill='%23ffffff'><path d='M19 6.41L17.59 5 12 10.59 6.41 5 5 6.41 10.59 12 5 17.59 6.41 19 12 13.41 17.59 19 19 17.59 13.41 12z'></svg>")}.mbm{position:absolute;top:8px;left:20px;display:none;background-color:transparent;width:40px;height:40px;margin:0;padding:4px;border:0;border-radius:99px;cursor:pointer}.mbm:hover{opacity:.9}#page:after{content:"";display:table;clear:both}.main-block{min-height:450px}.article h2.new,.article h2.top{font-size:165%;margin:55px 0 -20px 0}.idiom{margin:60px 0}.idiom div:first-child{margin:20px 0 60px}.idiom>p{margin:0}p.idt{margin:0 0 7px 0;line-height:1}.article{background:#fff;padding:0 40px 60px;border-radius:10px;border:2px solid #eee;min-height:1104px}.page-heading{font-size:180%;line-height:45px;padding:26px 0 13px 0;text-transform:uppercase;clear:both}.article h2{font-size:150%;margin:40px 0 30px;color:#888}.article h3{font-size:120%;margin:40px 0 30px;color:#666}.article ul,.article ol{margin:30px;line-height:30px}.article ul{list-style:square}.article ol{list-style:decimal}.article ol li{padding:0 0 0 5px}.rm{display:inline-block;font-size:85%;margin:0 0 0 5px;font-style:italic;color:#c71585}.ct{float:right;padding:0 0 0 5px;color:transparent}.ct a,.alphabet li a{color:#fff;width:45px;height:45px;line-height:45px;text-align:center;border-radius:99%;display:inline-block;background-color:#ff6347;margin:-8px -9px 0 -1px;box-shadow:0 1px 1.5px 0 rgba(0 0 0 / 12%),0 1px 1px 0 rgba(0 0 0 / 24%);font-size:110%;font-weight:500}.syt{padding:40px 0}.tho,.res{padding:0 0 0 37px;display:inline-block}.tho{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 30 30' stroke-width='2' stroke-linejoin='round'%3E%3Cpath d='M24 28H6c-1.1 0-2-.9-2-2h0c0-3.9 3.1-7 7-7h8c3.9 0 7 3.1 7 7h0c0 1.1-.9 2-2 2z' fill='%236c3db7' stroke='%236c3db7' stroke-miterlimit='10'/%3E%3Ccircle cx='15' cy='9' r='6' fill='%236ebaff' stroke='%236ebaff'/%3E%3C/svg%3E");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:24px;background-position:0 3px}.res{background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='254.782' height='254.782'%3E%3Cpath d='M23.384 30.344c-33.205 22.27-28.035 55.087-3.307 80.888 5.724 5.974 12.032 10.995 18.701 15.515 11.129 7.547 31.201 17.451 43.912 23.635a205.09 205.09 0 0 1 6.441 3.249c12.498 6.604 12.32 5.744 11.191-8.347-2.672-33.196 36.268-59.115 37.318-74.839-.047-14.875-2.589-26.581-7.045-35.688C112.593-2.032 63.408 3.499 23.384 30.344zm127.82 69.747c39.886-14.885 114.67 36.044 102.191 81.215-6.757 24.447-29.922 37.67-51.754 46.772-13.549 5.648-33.401 8.855-49.907 15.039-13.232 4.962-12.141 4.835-9.474-9.045 4.924-25.621-20.313-49.506-23.098-77.659-1.279-12.903 1.737-26.252 8.585-37.016 5.453-8.587 13.357-15.538 23.457-19.306z'/%3E%3C/svg%3E");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:24px;background-position:0 6px;float:right}.tho:hover{color:#00bfff}.info{padding:40px 0 20px 0;border-top:1px dashed #ddd}.ink{border-bottom:1px dashed #ddd;padding:5px 10px 20px 10px;margin:0 0 30px 0}.author{font-size:85%;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:1px;color:#a6126e;text-transform:capitalize}.date{float:right;font-size:75%;color:#555;font-weight:300;letter-spacing:1px}.cm{color:#ed143d;font-style:italic;background:#fff1f3;padding:15px 25px;border-radius:10px}#comments{margin:0 0 60px 0}.cft{margin:0;padding:12px 0 6px 4px;color:#00255e;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:120%;text-shadow:0 1px 2px #eee}.cff{font:inherit;color:#333;background-color:#fff;border:2px solid #ddd;border-radius:6px;box-sizing:border-box;line-height:30px;transition:0.5s}.cff:focus{border-color:#96cc96;background:#fbfffb}.cta{width:100%;padding:15px;margin:0 0 -9px 0}.etf,.atf{width:60%;padding:9px 15px}.wtf{position:absolute;z-index:-3;visibility:hidden;opacity:0}.btf{background-color:#184ea6;border:1px solid transparent;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:rgba(255,255,255,.4) 0 1px 0 0 inset;box-sizing:border-box;color:#fff;cursor:pointer;padding:9px 30px;text-transform:uppercase}.btf:hover,.btf:focus{background-color:#1a78d6}.btf:focus{box-shadow:0 0 0 4px rgba(0,149,255,.15)}.btf:active{background-color:#483d8b;box-shadow:none}ins.adsbygoogle[data-ad-status="unfilled"]{display:none!important}div.fad > ins.adsbygoogle[data-ad-status="unfilled"]{display:none!important}.article>p.tag{color:transparent;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' viewBox='0 0 280.028 280.028'%3E%3Cpath d='M52.506 0h175.017c9.661 0 17.502 7.832 17.502 17.502v245.024c0 10.212-7.71 17.502-17.502 17.502-8.191 0-70.269-38.81-78.758-43.754-8.497-4.944-8.628-5.233-17.502 0-8.873 5.259-70.409 43.754-78.758 43.754-9.915 0-17.502-7.027-17.502-17.502V17.502C35.004 7.832 42.845 0 52.506 0z' fill='%23e2574c'/%3E%3Cpath d='M227.523 0h-87.509v232.466c2.258-.018 4.419 1.278 8.751 3.807 8.453 4.927 70.086 43.448 78.618 43.728h.411c9.661-.14 17.23-7.359 17.23-17.475V17.502C245.025 7.832 237.184 0 227.523 0z' fill='%23cb4e44'/%3E%3Cpath d='M210.048 105.395l-46.038-3.404-23.995-49.486-24.266 49.486-45.758 3.404 30.628 38.197-8.751 48.9 48.147-22.507 48.147 22.507-8.908-48.9c-.001.001 30.794-38.197 30.794-38.197z' fill='%23efc75e'/%3E%3Cpath d='M188.162 192.501l-8.909-48.899 30.795-38.207-46.039-3.404-23.994-49.486v117.498z' fill='%23d7b354'/%3E%3C/svg%3E");background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:24px;background-position:0 12px;padding:0 33px;margin:0 0 25px 0}.tag a{background:#69778C;color:#fff;font-size:85%;padding:8px 18px;border-radius:999px;line-height:48px}.tag a:hover{background:#8fbc8f;color:#fff}.nxt a,.prv a{padding:9px 18px;text-align:center;border-radius:4px;color:#191970;background:#f5f5f5;font-size:85%;box-shadow:0 0px 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 12%),0 1px 1px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 24%);word-spacing:1px}.nxt{float:right}.nxt a:hover,.prv a:hover{color:#fff;background:#184ea6}.menu{text-align:center;padding:9px;clear:both}.menu ul li{display:inline-block;line-height:40px;margin:0 15px 0 0}.menu ul li a{color:#1a73e8}.lb{margin:0 0 30px;background:#fff;border-radius:10px;padding:7px 20px 20px 25px;border:2px solid #eee}.lsa{background:transparent;border:0}.lbh{font-size:115%;line-height:30px;padding:12px 0 15px}#iod,.daily p{margin:0;line-height:33px;font-size:90%}.daily p a{font-weight:400}.note{background:#fff;margin:0 0 30px;padding:10px 10px 25px 25px;border:2px solid #eee;border-radius:10px}.rbh{font-size:110%;line-height:50px}.lbh::first-letter,.rbh::first-letter{font-size:110%}h1.page-heading,h2.lbh,h3.rbh,.article h2.new,.article h2.top{color:#333;text-shadow:1px 1px 2px #ccc;text-transform:uppercase}.note ul li{line-height:25px;margin:0 0 12px 0;font-size:90%;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='24' height='24' viewBox='0 0 24 24'%3E%3Cpath d='m9.005 4 8 8-8 8L7 18l6.005-6L7 6z' fill='%23aaa' fill-rule='evenodd'/%3E%3C/svg%3E");background-repeat:no-repeat;padding:0 20px;background-size:16px;background-position:0px 7px}#ftr{background:#0a1228;color:#ececec;overflow:hidden;border-top:1px solid #ccc}.fth{font-size:110%;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0 0 25px 0;color:#ddd;word-spacing:1px}.fth:first-letter{font-size:110%}.grid div ul li,.grid div ol li{color:#ddd;margin:5px 0 10px 15px;line-height:25px;padding:0 0 0 5px}.grid div ul li{list-style:square}.grid div ol li{list-style:decimal}.grid div ul li a,.grid div ol li a{color:#00bfff}.cau{font-size:14px;text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:600}.sbs{text-align:center;margin:20px 0 50px}.sbs p{font-size:85%;color:#aaa;margin:-6px 0 6px 0}.sbi{background:#0b1633;border:2px solid #2d3a5e;padding:10px 50px 10px 25px;border-radius:99px;color:#fff;display:inline-block;height:50px;line-height:50px}.sbb{margin:0 0 0 -45px;padding:0;border:0;background:#ff7f50;color:#fff;border-radius:99px;font-size:105%;display:inline-block;position:relative;top:0;width:40px;height:40px;line-height:40px;cursor:pointer}.fb4 p{margin:24px 0 24px 10px}.smi img{filter:grayscale(100%)}.grid:after{content:"";display:table;clear:both}.cpr{color:#789;font-size:85%;border-top:1px dashed #40485c;display:flex;justify-content:space-between}.cpr p,.btl{margin:15px 50px;line-height:30px}.cpr a{color:#789}.btl li{display:inline-block;margin:0 15px 0}.btl li a{color:#00bfff}#share{position:fixed;bottom:175px;right:10px;background:#fff;padding:4px 10px;border:1px dashed #000;border-radius:9px;text-align:center;font-size:11px;color:#000;cursor:pointer;opacity:.8}.article ul li::marker,.article ol li::marker{color:#999}.article>p.pno{margin:0 0 -20px 0;color:#a9a9a9;font-size:16px;font-weight:600}.pgn{margin:0;padding:40px 0}.reli{margin:60px 0}.reli ul li{list-style:disc}.reli ul li a{font-weight:600}.reli h2{font-size:20px;font-weight:600;color:#a6126e;letter-spacing:1px}.alphabet{text-align:center}.alphabet li{display:inline-block;list-style:none;line-height:60px}.alphabet li a{margin:0 20px 0 0}.alphabet li a:hover,.ct a:hover{background:#789}.breadcrumb{margin:10px 0 0 0;text-align:center}.breadcrumb ol li{display:inline;list-style:none;font-size:75%;text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:600}.breadcrumb ol li+li:before{color:#999;content:"\00BB";font-size:18px;font-weight:normal}.breadcrumb ol li span{padding:0 15px;line-height:30px}.breadcrumb ol li a,.breadcrumb ol li span{color:#666}.fma,.fma *{text-align:center}@media (min-width:1008px){body{font-size:115%}.logo{margin-left:50px}.logo,.logo a{display:inline-block;position:relative;vertical-align:middle}.tn a{color:#5f6368;transition:all .3s ease}.tn a:hover{color:#1a73e8}.sb input:focus{width:333px}.blocks{display:inline-block}.main-block,.left-block,.right-block{border:1px solid transparent;clear:both}.main-block{width:49%;margin:0 0 60px 12px;padding:0;background:transparent}.article>p{margin:20px 0}.article ul li{margin:0 0 9px 0}.article ol li{margin:0 0 18px 0}.lst p{padding:10px 0 0 0;text-align:center}.left-block{width:23%;float:left;margin:0 0 0 36px}.right-block{width:21%;float:right;position:absolute;margin:0 0 0 12px}#ftr{padding:50px 0 5px}.grid{width:1000px;margin:0 auto}.grid>div{display:inline-table;padding:0 0 60px 20px}.fb1{width:520px}.fb2{width:400px;float:right}.fb3{width:520px}.fb4{width:400px;float:right}.sbi{width:400px}}@media (max-width:1007px){body{font-size:120%}.logo{display:block;text-align:center;margin:0;height:55px;line-height:80px}.logo a{position:relative}.logo a img{margin:0 0 0 -5px}.mbm,.tsb,.tsb form,.sb,.sb input{display:block}.tn,.tn ul,.tn ul li,.tn ul li a{display:block;height:0;visibility:hidden;opacity:0;overflow:hidden;transition:height .4s ease-in}.tsb{position:absolute;right:20px;top:8px}.on,.on ul,.on ul li,.on ul li a{height:auto;transition:height .4s ease-out}.on ul li{border-top:1px solid #e8eaed}.on ul li a{line-height:45px;display:list-item;padding-left:30px;letter-spacing:2px;color:#000;font-size:16px;font-weight:600}.on ul li a:hover{background:#efefef}.on ul li:first-child{border-top:0}.on{height:228px}.main-block{width:100%;margin:0 0 30px 0;padding:0 1px}.page-heading{padding:20px 0;text-shadow:none;font-size:140%}.article{padding:0 18px 36px}.article h2{color:#666;font-size:130%}.article ul,.article ol{margin:0 20px}.article ul li,.article ol li{margin:0 6px 10px 0}.tho,.res{padding:0 0 0 30px}.lb{margin:0 1px 30px}#iod,.daily p{font-size:100%}.right-block{margin:0 0 30px 0}.note ul li{font-size:100%}h2{font-size:110%}.sbi{width:90%}.sbb{top:1px}.etf,.atf{width:100%}.fb1,.fb2,.fb3,.fb4{margin:50px 3% 50px 6%}.grid:after{display:block}.reli ul{margin:30px;line-height:30px}}@media (max-width:800px){.cpr{display:block;text-align:center}.btl li{display:block;margin:0 0 5px 0;font-weight:600}}@media (max-width:500px){.article h2.new,.article h2.top{font-size:120%;text-align:center}.ct a{display:block;margin:-8px -5px -15px -1px}}@media (max-width:390px){.breadcrumb ol li span{padding:0 5px}.syt{margin:0 auto;width:265px;padding:0 0 10px 0;text-align:center}.tho,.res{float:none;margin:10px auto 20px}.author,.date{float:none;display:block;text-align:center}}.info div,#respond{scroll-margin-top:100px}@media print{body{background:#fff}.logo,img{display:block!important;margin:5px}iframe,button,form,nav,.ct,#comments,.tag,aside,.grid,.sbs,#share,.pgad,.reli,footer,.google-auto-placed,.ap_container,ins,.ipr-container,.autors-widget{display:none!important}div,.article{border:0;margin:0;padding:0}article:after{content:" Source:www.theidioms.com";font-size:18px;font-weight:600}h1:after{content:" www.theidioms.com";position:absolute;right:50px;font-size:14px;text-shadow:none;letter-spacing:1px}}</style><link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://www.theidioms.com/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"><link rel="icon" href="https://www.theidioms.com/images/favicon/32x32.png" sizes="32x32"><link rel="icon" href="https://www.theidioms.com/images/favicon/48x48.png" sizes="48x48"><link rel="icon" href="https://www.theidioms.com/images/favicon/96x96.png" sizes="96x96"><link rel="icon" href="https://www.theidioms.com/images/favicon/144x144.png" sizes="144x144"></head><body><header id="hh" class="container"><div class="logo"><a title="The Idioms" href="https://www.theidioms.com"><img src="https://www.theidioms.com/wp-content/themes/express/images/logo.png" width="225" height="55" alt="The Idioms"></a></div><button aria-label="Menu" class="mbm" onclick="tog()"><svg focusable="false" viewbox="0 0 24 24"><path fill="#555" d="M3 18h18v-2H3v2zm0-5h18v-2H3v2zm0-7v2h18V6H3z"></path></svg></button><nav id="mn" class="tn"><ul><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com">Home</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/list/alphabetical/">A to Z Index</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/topics/">Idiom Topics</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/list/">All Idioms</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/search/">Search</a></li></ul></nav><div class="tsb"><form method="get" id="nav-sform" action="/search/"><div class="sb"><input title="Search here" type="search" class="field" name="q" id="q" value="" placeholder="Search"></div></form></div></header><nav class="breadcrumb"><ol aria-label="breadcrumb" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/BreadcrumbList"><li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ListItem"><a itemprop="item" href="https://www.theidioms.com"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a><meta itemprop="position" content="1"></li><li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ListItem"><a itemprop="item" href="https://www.theidioms.com/list/"><span itemprop="name">Idioms List</span></a><meta itemprop="position" content="2"></li><li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ListItem"><a itemprop="item" href="https://www.theidioms.com/b/"><span itemprop="name">B</span></a><meta itemprop="position" content="3"></li><li itemprop="itemListElement" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ListItem"><span itemprop="name">bottom line</span><meta itemprop="position" content="4"></li></ol></nav><div id="content" class="container"><main class="blocks main-block"><article id="phrase" class="article"><h1 id="title" class="page-heading">bottom line</h1><p class="ct"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/b/">B</a></p><p><strong>bottom line</strong></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Meaning</h2><ul class="wp-block-list"><li>the most important factor to take into account of something</li><li>in the final analysis, the most important fact in a situation.</li><li>the final profit or loss that a business generated over a specific time period.</li></ul><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Example Sentences</h2><ol class="wp-block-list"><li>When the profit comes down, the <strong>bottom line</strong> is that this investment isn’t worth the risk.</li><li>The <strong>bottom line</strong> is that we need to cut costs in order to remain competitive.</li><li>At the end of everything, the <strong>bottom line</strong> is that I just want to be happy with my decision.</li><li>We can debate it all we want, but the <strong>bottom line</strong> is that this is what needs to be done.</li><li>The <strong>bottom line</strong> is that time is running out, and we need to act now.</li><li>The <strong>bottom line</strong> is that pregnant women who smoke run a higher risk of harming their health.</li></ol><h2 class="wp-block-heading">Origin</h2><p>The term “bottom line” first appeared in the realm of business and began gaining traction during the mid-1900s. It referred to financial statements that indicated whether a company had profited or lost money once all expenses were accounted for. As its name implies, it denotes “the total amount or cost,” which later evolved into a figurative way of depicting the major point of an issue, predicament, or event.</p><p>However, it’s essential to recognize that the phrase “bottom line” is also often used in a literal way to denote financial gain or loss. In reality, this figurative use of “bottom line” has been around since 1920, when accountants and financiers first coined the term. The expression originated from companies drawing a distinct line at the base of their balance sheets showing whether they had earned a profit or loss for that year, which was referred to as “the bottom line”.</p><p>When it comes to the core of any matter, “the bottom line” is a concise expression that says it all. By succinctly summarizing the main point or conclusion of something in one phrase, you can make decisions with confidence and without needing excess details. To put it simply, this often-used term now refers to the most important detail within an issue and implies that no further information is necessary for understanding.</p><div id="comments"><p class="syt"><a class="res" href="#respond">Share your opinions</a><a class="tho" href="#comments">1 Opinion</a></p><div class='info'><div id="comment-1616"><p>I think that the bottom line has a meaning of profit, or hasn’t it?</p><p class="ink"><span class="author">‒ Ilyas</span> <span class="date">December 29, 2021</span></p></div></div><div id="respond" class="comment-respond"><p class="cft">What's on your mind?</p><form action="https://www.theidioms.com/wp-comments-post.php" method="post" id="commentform" class="comment-form"><p><textarea placeholder="Share information, comments, or feedback." id="comment" class="cta cff" name="comment" cols="45" rows="6" aria-required="true"></textarea></p><p><input id="author" class="atf cff" placeholder="Name" name="author" type="text" value="" size="30"></p><p><input id="email" class="etf cff" placeholder="Email" name="email" type="text" value="" size="30"></p><p><input id="url" class="wtf cff" placeholder="Website" name="url" type="text" value="" size="30"></p><p class="form-submit"><input name="submit" type="submit" id="submit" class="btf" value="Submit"> <input type='hidden' name='comment_post_ID' value='256' id='comment_post_ID'><input type='hidden' name='comment_parent' id='comment_parent' value='0'></p></form></div></div> <p class="tag"> <a href="https://www.theidioms.com/line/" rel="tag">Line</a></p><nav class="pgn"><span title="Next Idiom" class="nxt"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/divide-and-conquer-or-rule/" rel="prev">Next »</a></span><span title="Previous Idiom" class="prv"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/push-the-boat-out/" rel="next">« Previous</a></span></nav><div class="reli"><h2>Similar Idioms</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/drop-a-line/">drop a line</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/line-in-the-sand/">line in the sand</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/outside-the-lines/">outside the lines</a></li></ul></div></article></main><aside class="blocks left-block"><div class="lb"><h2 class="lbh">Idiom of the Day</h2><div class="daily"><p id="iod"><em><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/a-quick-buck/"><strong>a quick buck</strong></a></em></p><p><strong>Meaning:</strong> to make <a href="https://www.theidioms.com/money/">money</a> quickly.</p><p><strong>Example:</strong> He decided to make <strong><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/a-quick-buck/">a quick buck</a></strong> by selling his CD collection. <a class="rm" href="https://www.theidioms.com/a-quick-buck/" title="a quick buck">Read more ➺</a></p></div></div><div class="lb lsa"><script async crossorigin="anonymous" data-type="lazy" data-src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1567729832356028"></script><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-1567729832356028" data-ad-slot="9043807941" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="false"></ins><script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script></div><div class="lb daily"><h2 class="lbh">About</h2><p>The Idioms Dictionary explains common English idioms that are popular worldwide, especially in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand.</p></div></aside><aside class="blocks right-block"><div class="note"><h3 class="rbh">Latest Idioms</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/ante-up/">ante up</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/cant-hold-a-candle-to/">can’t hold a candle to</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/kickback/">kickback</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/let-the-dust-settle/">let the dust settle</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/god-forbid/">God forbid</a></li></ul></div><div class="note"><h3 class="rbh">English Grammar</h3><div class="textwidget"><ul><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/adjectives/">Adjectives</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/nouns/">Nouns</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/pronouns/">Pronouns</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/verbs/">Verbs</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/adverbs/">Adverbs</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/prepositions/">Prepositions</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/punctuation/">Punctuation</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/sentences/">Sentences</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/figure-of-speech/">Figure of Speech</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/opposite-words/">Opposite Words</a></li></ul></div></div></aside></div><footer id="ftr" class="container"><div class="grid"><div class="fb1"><h3 class="fth">Reader Opinions</h3><ul><li><span class="cau">Anonymous</span> ➜ <a href="https://www.theidioms.com/on-the-other-hand/#comment-2425">on the other hand</a></li> <li><span class="cau">Chris</span> ➜ <a href="https://www.theidioms.com/touch-off/#comment-2424">touch off</a></li> <li><span class="cau">Chris</span> ➜ <a href="https://www.theidioms.com/turn-over-a-new-leaf/#comment-2423">turn over a new leaf</a></li> <li><span class="cau">Chris</span> ➜ <a href="https://www.theidioms.com/scapegoat/#comment-2418">scapegoat</a></li> <li><span class="cau">Chris</span> ➜ <a href="https://www.theidioms.com/son-of-a-gun/#comment-2417">son of a gun</a></li> <li><span class="cau">Daud</span> ➜ <a href="https://www.theidioms.com/within-earshot/#comment-2402">within earshot</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/opinions/">View all opinions</a></li></ul></div><div class="fb2"><h3 class="fth">Popular Idioms</h3><ol class="mpi"><li title="63 Thoughts on the devil is beating his wife"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/the-devil-is-beating-his-wife/">the devil is beating his wife</a> <span class="icn">(63)</span></li><li title="20 Thoughts on raining cats and dogs"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/rain-cats-and-dogs/">raining cats and dogs</a> <span class="icn">(20)</span></li><li title="18 Thoughts on break a leg"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/break-a-leg/">break a leg</a> <span class="icn">(18)</span></li><li title="16 Thoughts on catch-22"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/catch-22/">catch-22</a> <span class="icn">(16)</span></li><li title="13 Thoughts on a bed of roses"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/bed-of-roses/">a bed of roses</a> <span class="icn">(13)</span></li><li title="12 Thoughts on apple of discord"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/apple-of-discord/">apple of discord</a> <span class="icn">(12)</span></li><li title="12 Thoughts on home is where the heart is"><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/home-is-where-the-heart-is/">home is where the heart is</a> <span class="icn">(12)</span></li></ol></div></div><div class="grid"><div class="fb3"><h3 class="fth">More on The Idioms</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/kids/">Idioms for Kids</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/nursery-rhymes/">Nursery Rhymes</a></li></ul></div><div class="fb4"><h3 class="fth">Follow The Idioms</h3><ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.theidioms.com/out/fbp">Facebook</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.theidioms.com/out/instap">Instagram</a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.theidioms.com/out/twp">Twitter</a></li></ul></div></div><div class="sbs"><h3 class="fth">Keep in touch</h3><p>Subscribe to receive new idiom updates by email.</p><form class="subscribe-form" id="subf" action="https://www.theidioms.com/subscribe/" method="post"><input class="sbi" placeholder="Enter Your Email" type="text" name="name"><button class="sbb" type="submit" title="Go" name="subscribe">➔</button></form></div><div class="cpr"><ul class="btl"><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/about/">About Us</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/contact/">Contact Us</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theidioms.com/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a></li></ul><p>Copyrights © 2024 - The <a href="https://www.theidioms.com">Idioms</a>.</p></div></footer><script data-no-optimize="1">function tog(){var n=document.querySelector(".tn, .on");n.classList.contains("tn")?(n.classList.remove("tn"),n.classList.add("on")):n.classList.contains("on")&&(n.classList.remove("on"),n.classList.add("tn"))} function addCopyrightInfo(){var e,t;if(window.getSelection){var n;if((n=window.getSelection()).rangeCount){e=n.getRangeAt(0).startContainer.parentNode;var o=document.createElement("div");o.appendChild(n.getRangeAt(0).cloneContents()),t=o.innerHTML}var i=n.getRangeAt(0);t||(t=""+n),t+=" Source: <a href='"+document.location.href+"' style='color:#333;text-decoration:none'>theidioms.com</a>";var d=document.createElement("div");d.style.position="absolute",d.style.left="-99999px",e.appendChild(d),d.innerHTML=t,n.selectAllChildren(d),window.setTimeout((function(){e.removeChild(d),n.removeAllRanges(),n.addRange(i)}),5)}else console.debug("The text [selection] not found.")}document.addEventListener("copy",addCopyrightInfo); function Sharer(o,t,n,r){var e=(screen.width-n)/2,a=(screen.height-r)/4;window.open(o,t,"toolbar=no, location=no, directories=no, status=no, menubar=no, scrollbars=no, resizable=no, copyhistory=no, width="+n+", height="+r+", top="+a+", left="+e)} var myForm=document.getElementById("subf");myForm.onsubmit=function(){window.open("about:blank","Popup_Window","toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=0,width=800,height=600,left = 312,top = 234"),this.target="Popup_Window"};</script><div id="share" onclick="Sharer ('https://www.theidioms.com/share/?link=https://www.theidioms.com/bottom-line/&title=bottom line meaning, origin, example, sentence, history', 'web', 800, 700);"><img title="Share Page" alt="Share" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" width="32"><br>Share</div><script type="text/javascript" id="flying-scripts">const loadScriptsTimer=setTimeout(loadScripts,4*1000);const userInteractionEvents=["mouseover","keydown","touchstart","touchmove","wheel"];userInteractionEvents.forEach(function(event){window.addEventListener(event,triggerScriptLoader,{passive:!0})});function triggerScriptLoader(){loadScripts();clearTimeout(loadScriptsTimer);userInteractionEvents.forEach(function(event){window.removeEventListener(event,triggerScriptLoader,{passive:!0})})} function loadScripts(){document.querySelectorAll("script[data-type='lazy']").forEach(function(elem){elem.setAttribute("src",elem.getAttribute("data-src"))})}</script> </body></html>