mark-up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal, Business, Technical
Quick answer
What does “mark-up” mean?
The amount added to the cost price of goods to cover overheads and profit.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The amount added to the cost price of goods to cover overheads and profit.
1. The process of adding annotations or corrections to a text or document. 2. In computing, a system for annotating text with formatting instructions (e.g., HTML). 3. The increase in the price of a security from its original offering price.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: UK often uses hyphen ('mark-up'), US often uses solid ('markup') or two words ('mark up') depending on part of speech. Usage is otherwise very similar.
Connotations
Neutral in both varieties. In business contexts, it carries the same financial implication.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in US business and computing contexts due to the prominence of the tech industry.
Grammar
How to Use “mark-up” in a Sentence
[Noun] + mark-up (e.g., a 50% mark-up)mark-up + [on Noun] (e.g., mark-up on the goods)mark-up + [of Noun] (e.g., a mark-up of £10)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mark-up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The editor will mark up the manuscript with her corrections.
- We need to mark up the prices before the new stock arrives.
American English
- The teacher marked up the essays in red pen.
- Stores typically mark up imported goods significantly.
adjective
British English
- She is an expert in mark-up languages.
- The mark-up percentage is reviewed quarterly.
American English
- He works with markup code all day.
- The markup rate is non-negotiable.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The standard mark-up on luxury goods is often over 100%.
Academic
The researcher used XML mark-up to annotate the medieval manuscript.
Everyday
There's quite a mark-up on drinks at the cinema.
Technical
The web developer is debugging the page's HTML mark-up.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mark-up”
- Using 'markup' as a verb (correct: 'to mark up').
- Confusing 'mark-up' (price increase) with 'markdown' (price reduction).
- Misspelling as 'markup' in UK formal writing where hyphen is preferred.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
As a noun, it can be one word ('markup') or hyphenated ('mark-up'), with regional and style guide variations. As a verb, it is always two words ('mark up').
Mark-up is the amount added to the cost to set the selling price. Profit is the final financial gain after all expenses (including cost) are subtracted from revenue. Mark-up is a calculation on cost; profit is a calculation on revenue.
Yes. In publishing and computing, it refers to the system of annotations or tags added to a text to indicate structure, format, or corrections (e.g., 'HTML mark-up').
Divide the mark-up amount (selling price minus cost price) by the cost price, then multiply by 100. Formula: ((Selling Price - Cost Price) / Cost Price) * 100.
The amount added to the cost price of goods to cover overheads and profit.
Mark-up is usually formal, business, technical in register.
Mark-up: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmɑːk ʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmɑːrk ʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Built into the mark-up”
- “A healthy mark-up”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a shopkeeper MARKing UP the price tag with a higher number.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRICE IS A LAYER (added on top of cost). TEXT IS AN OBJECT (that can be annotated).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'mark-up' LEAST likely to be used?