break-even point

noun
1.
the point at which the income from sale of a product or service equals the invested costs, resulting in neither profit nor loss; the stage at which income equals expenditure.
Origin
1935-40, Americanism
Examples from the web for break-even point
  • Laser fusion, regarding energy consumption and efficiency, is far from break-even point.
  • There used to be a break-even point below which it was impractical to distribute a recording.
  • Eventually, there would be a break-even point, then all upside.
  • Each time the team gets within two games of the break-even point, it regresses.
break-even point in Technology


In the process of implementing a new computer language, the point at which the language is sufficiently effective that one can implement the language in itself. That is, for a new language called, hypothetically, FOOGOL, one has reached break-even when one can write a demonstration compiler for FOOGOL in FOOGOL, discard the original implementation language, and thereafter use working versions of FOOGOL to develop newer ones. This is an important milestone. See My Favourite Toy Language.
[There actually is a language called Foogol].