Gross vs. Net: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Gross refers to the total amount before deductions, while net signifies the amount remaining after deductions.
Key Differences
Gross refers to the total amount of something, often used in financial contexts to describe income before deductions. Net represents the amount remaining after all deductions have been made, like taxes and expenses.
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Gross income is the total earnings of an individual or company before any deductions. Net income is the actual profit or earnings after subtracting all expenses, taxes, and costs.
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Gross weight includes the weight of the product and its packaging. Net weight is the weight of the product alone, excluding any packaging or containers.
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Gross can also mean coarse or vulgar, often used to describe something unpleasant or offensive. Net, in a different context, can refer to a meshed fabric or device used to catch or contain things.
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Gross in retail terms refers to total sales revenue without deducting returns, discounts, or allowances. Net sales are the revenue remaining after these deductions, reflecting the actual sales income.
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Comparison Chart
Weight Measurement
Total weight including packaging
Weight of the product alone
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Retail Sales
Total sales revenue without deductions
Sales revenue after returns and discounts
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General Meaning
Coarse, overall, or total
Remaining amount, clear, or free from extras
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Gross and Net Definitions
Gross
Gross refers to the total amount before any deductions.
Her gross salary is $70,000, before taxes and benefits are subtracted.
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Net
Net refers to the amount remaining after deductions.
His net income, after taxes, was significantly lower.
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Gross
Gross can describe something crude or vulgar.
The gross humor in the movie was off-putting to some viewers.
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Net
An openwork fabric made of threads or cords that are woven or knotted together at regular intervals.
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Gross
Gross weight includes the weight of packaging.
The gross weight of the shipment was 50kg, including the box.
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Gross
So obvious or conspicuous as to cause or heighten offense
Gross injustice.
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Gross
Brutishly coarse, as in behavior; crude
"It is futile to expect a hungry and squalid population to be anything but violent and gross" (Thomas H. Huxley).
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Net
A fine mesh fabric used as curtain or dress material or as the foundation for various laces.
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Gross
Disgusting or offensive
Don't you think slugs are gross? He told a gross joke.
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Net
A barrier of meshwork cord or rope strung between two posts to divide a court in half, as in tennis and badminton.
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Gross
Overweight; corpulent
"Sally is fat. She is gross. She must weigh twelve stone and more" (Margaret Drabble).
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Gross
On a large scale; not fine or detailed
Gross anatomical similarities.
Gross motor skills.
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Gross
Pl. gross·es The entire body or amount, as of income, before necessary deductions have been made.
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Gross
To earn as a total income or profit before deductions
The store grossed $10,000 last month.
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Gross
(of behaviour considered to be wrong) Highly or conspicuously offensive.
A gross mistake;
Gross injustice;
Gross negligence; a gross insult
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Gross
(of an amount) Excluding any deductions; including all associated amounts.
Gross domestic product; gross income; gross weight
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Gross
Seen without a microscope (usually for a tissue or an organ); at a large scale; not detailed.
Gross anatomy
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Gross
Lacking refinement in behaviour or manner; offending a standard of morality.
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Net
To acquire or obtain
An investment that netted a hefty profit.
A personal ad that netted a dozen responses.
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Net
To cover, protect, or surround with a net or network
"The heart [is] netted with a maze of curving blood vessels that send blood through it in swirling patterns" (Jennifer Ackerman).
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Gross
(of a person) Heavy in proportion to one's height; having a lot of excess flesh.
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Gross
The total nominal earnings or amount, before taxes, expenses, exceptions or similar are deducted. That which remains after all deductions is called net.
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Net
Remaining after all deductions have been made, as for expenses
Net profit.
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Gross
(transitive) To earn money, not including expenses.
The movie grossed three million on the first weekend.
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Gross
Great; large; bulky; fat; of huge size; excessively large.
A gross body of horse under the Duke.
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Net
A device made from such mesh, used for catching fish, butterflies, etc.
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Gross
Not easily aroused or excited; not sensitive in perception or feeling; dull; witless.
Tell her of things that no gross ear can hear.
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Gross
Expressing, or originating in, animal or sensual appetites; hence, coarse, vulgar, low, obscene, or impure.
The terms which are delicate in one age become gross in the next.
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Net
(geometry) Of a polyhedron, any set of polygons joined edge to edge that, when folded along the edges between adjoining polygons so that the outer edges touch, form the polyhedron.
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Gross
Great; palpable; serious; vagrant; shameful; as, a gross mistake; gross injustice; gross negligence.
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Net
A system that interconnects a number of users, locations etc. allowing transport or communication between them.
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Gross
Whole; entire; total; without deduction; as, the gross sum, or gross amount, the gross weight; - opposed to net.
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Net
(electronics) A conductor that interconnects two or more component terminals.
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Gross
The main body; the chief part, bulk, or mass.
For the gross of the people, they are considered as a mere herd of cattle.
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Net
(sports) A framework backed by a mesh, serving as the goal in hockey, soccer, lacrosse, etc.
The striker headed the ball into the net to make it 1-0.
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Gross
The number of twelve dozen; twelve times twelve; as, a gross of bottles; ten gross of pens.
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Net
A mesh stretched to divide the court in tennis, badminton, volleyball, etc.
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Net
The area of the court close to the net (mesh stretched to divide the court).
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Gross
Visible to the naked eye (especially of rocks and anatomical features)
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Gross
Of general aspects or broad distinctions;
The gross details of the structure appear reasonable
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Gross
Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible;
A crying shame
An egregious lie
Flagrant violation of human rights
A glaring error
Gross ineptitude
Gross injustice
Rank treachery
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Gross
Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers;
An arrant fool
A complete coward
A consummate fool
A double-dyed villain
Gross negligence
A perfect idiot
Pure folly
What a sodding mess
Stark staring mad
A thoroughgoing villain
Utter nonsense
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Gross
Conspicuously and tastelessly indecent;
Coarse language
A crude joke
Crude behavior
An earthy sense of humor
A revoltingly gross expletive
A vulgar gesture
Full of language so vulgar it should have been edited
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Net
(transitive) To yield as profit for.
The scam netted the criminals $30,000.
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Gross
In retail, gross means total sales revenue.
The store's gross earnings in December were impressive.
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Net
To fully hedge a position.
Every party is netting their position with a counter-party
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Gross
Gross in business can mean overall or comprehensive.
The gross analysis of the project showed potential profit.
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Net
A fabric of twine, thread, or the like, wrought or woven into meshes, and used for catching fish, birds, butterflies, etc.
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Net
Anything designed or fitted to entrap or catch; a snare; any device for catching and holding.
A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet.
In the church's net there are fishes good or bad.
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Net
Anything wrought or woven in meshes; as, a net for the hair; a mosquito net; a tennis net.
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Net
A figure made up of a large number of straight lines or curves, which are connected at certain points and related to each other by some specified law.
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Net
To take in a net; to capture by stratagem or wile.
And now I am here, netted and in the toils.
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Net
To produce or gain as clear profit; as, he netted a thousand dollars by the operation.
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Net
Free from extraneous substances; pure; unadulterated; neat; as, net wine, etc.
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Net
Not including superfluous, incidental, or foreign matter, as boxes, coverings, wraps, etc.; free from charges, deductions, etc; as, net profit; net income; net weight, etc.
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Net
A computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange
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Net
The excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)
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Net
Game equipment consisting of a strip of netting dividing the playing area in tennis or badminton
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Net
An open fabric of string or rope or wire woven together at regular intervals
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Net
Conclusive in a process or progression;
The final answer
A last resort
The net result
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Net
In finance, net profit is what remains after expenses.
The company's net profit was down this quarter.
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Net
Net can mean clear of all deductions or encumbrances.
The net weight of the product is 45kg, excluding the packaging.
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Net
Net is a device made of meshed fabric for catching or containing.
He used a net to catch butterflies.
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Net
Net can describe something free from all extras or additives.
The net result of the negotiations was a minor change in policy.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What does net mean in sports?
In sports, a net is a meshed fabric used in games like tennis or volleyball.
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Is net always lower than gross?
Typically, net is lower than gross due to deductions, but it can vary.
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What does gross mean in financial terms?
Gross refers to the total amount before any deductions, like total income or sales.
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What is net income?
Net income is the amount remaining after all deductions like taxes and expenses.
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What does gross mean in non-financial contexts?
Gross can mean something crude, vulgar, or overall in general terms.
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How do businesses calculate net profit?
Net profit is calculated by subtracting all business expenses from gross profit.
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Does gross apply to behavior?
Yes, gross can describe behavior that is offensive or crude.
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How is gross weight different from net weight?
Gross weight includes packaging, while net weight is just the weight of the product.
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Can gross and net apply to salaries?
Yes, gross salary is before deductions, and net salary is after deductions.
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How do taxes affect gross and net income?
Taxes are deducted from gross income to determine net income.
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How important is understanding gross vs. net in budgeting?
It's crucial as it affects the actual income or expenditure calculation.
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Is net weight used in shipping?
Yes, net weight is important for knowing the product's weight without packaging.
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Can gross and net apply to time management?
Yes, in time management, they can refer to total vs. effective time used.
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Do gross and net apply to investments?
Yes, they can describe total and actual returns on investments.
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Can gross be used in a medical context?
Yes, gross can describe the overall observation of a medical condition.
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How do retailers use gross and net sales?
Retailers calculate gross sales and then net sales after deductions like returns.
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Can net refer to a clear outcome?
Yes, net can describe a clear or final outcome after all factors are considered.
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Are gross and net relevant in real estate?
Yes, especially in calculating gross and net area or income from properties.
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How do companies report gross and net earnings?
Companies report both in financial statements to show overall and actual earnings.
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Does net always involve financial transactions?
No, net can also refer to physical items like nets or outcomes.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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