Definition

1. Noun (plural): Costs of doing business that do not change with the quantity of goods or services produced or sold over a specific period. These are expenses that a company must pay regardless of its level of output or sales activity.

Usage

The term "fixed costs" is used primarily in business, accounting, and economics to describe the static, unavoidable expenses of operation. It is contrasted with "variable costs," which change with production volume. - Fixed costs are incurred even when production is zero. - A company analyzes its fixed costs to determine its break-even point. - High fixed costs require a business to maintain a certain sales volume to remain profitable.

Examples

• "The company's fixed costs, such as office rent and salaried employees, must be paid every month."
• "Even though the factory was closed for a week, the business still had to cover its fixed costs."
• "A startup must carefully calculate its fixed costs to understand its initial financial runway."

Advanced Usage

• "To cover fixed costs": To generate enough revenue to pay for the static operating expenses.
  • The new product line was launched primarily to help cover the factory's high fixed costs.
• "Fixed-cost burden": The weight or pressure of having high, unchanging expenses.
  • The airline's heavy fixed-cost burden made it vulnerable during the travel downturn.

Variants and Related Words

• Fixed cost (singular): Refers to one specific expense of this type.
  • The lease on the building is a significant fixed cost.
• Overhead (noun): A broader term often used synonymously with fixed costs, referring to general business expenses not directly tied to production.
• Operating leverage (noun): A financial concept describing the extent to which a firm uses fixed costs in its operations; high fixed costs create high operating leverage.

Synonyms

• Overhead costs
• Period costs (in accounting, costs expensed in the period they are incurred)
• Standing charges

Antonyms

• Variable costs: Costs that change in direct proportion to the level of production or sales (e.g., raw materials, direct labor for hourly workers).
• Marginal costs: The cost of producing one additional unit of output.

Noun

1. a periodic charge that does not vary with business volume (as insurance or rent or mortgage payments etc.)