Is bread-and-butter formal or informal?

It is neutral and common in business or general writing.

Can I use bread-and-butter for a job?

Yes. It can mean the job that gives you your main income.

Is it the same as essential?

Not exactly. Essential means necessary; bread-and-butter often means the main practical source of support.

How do I use bread-and-butter in a sentence?

Use it before a noun: 'Our bread-and-butter service is tutoring.'

← Dictionary

the-bread-and-butter

/ðə ˌbred ən ˈbʌt.ə/

IELTSAcademic

adjective

Basic, necessary, or most important. It describes the part of something that gives support, income, or success.

Teaching is their bread-and-butter job.
These customers are our bread-and-butter market.
Sales are the bread-and-butter of the company.

Adinary Nuance

Use bread-and-butter for the main, practical part of a job, business, or skill. It is closer to core or mainstay than to words like important, which are more general. In business writing, it sounds natural and clear, not fancy. It often suggests steady support, not excitement.

In other languages

Vietnamese: kiếm cơm
Spanish: medio de vida
Chinese: 饭碗
Japanese: 生活の糧
Korean: 생계

Etymology

This phrase comes from the idea of bread and butter as simple, everyday food. By the 1600s, it was used for the basic thing a person depends on most, especially for money or support.

Common phrases

bread-and-butter jobbread-and-butter issuebread-and-butter marketbread-and-butter skills

Synonyms

core main basic essential mainstay

Frequently asked questions

Is bread-and-butter formal or informal?: It is neutral and common in business or general writing.
Can I use bread-and-butter for a job?: Yes. It can mean the job that gives you your main income.
Is it the same as essential?: Not exactly. Essential means necessary; bread-and-butter often means the main practical source of support.
How do I use bread-and-butter in a sentence?: Use it before a noun: 'Our bread-and-butter service is tutoring.'