loss
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Related to at a loss: roughshod, pale in comparison
Loss
The opposite of gain.
Loss
Extracting less money from a transaction than one put into it. For example, a business' expenses may be $1 million for a year but it may only take in $800,000 in revenue. In such a case, the business has suffered a $200,000 loss. This is not always bad; most businesses lose money in the first few years of operation and this can reduce their tax liability when they do make a profit. However, losses over an extended period of time ultimately result in failure. See also: Gain, Paper Loss, Loss Carryforward, Loss Carryback.