deal breaker

or deal-break·er or deal·break·er

[ deel brey-ker ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an aspect, condition, or item that would not be accepted by a party to a business transaction or political deal:
Prior to committing to a partnership, the corporation needs to have a clear vision of deal breakers versus where they are willing to be flexible.
something that would cause a person to abandon a plan, mutual arrangement, agreement, or relationship:
Sorry, but entering into marriage with a partner who has hefty debt or terrible credit is definitely a deal breaker.

First recorded in 1975–80; deal ¹( def ) + breaker ¹( def )

It's not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it is kind of a top priority.

There is such a thing in presidential primary politics as a single-issue deal-breaker.

For Aga Malarczyk, 37, one of more than 50,000 Polish citizens living in Scotland, this is a deal breaker.

In the '60s South, long hair was a signifier and a deal breaker for men.

This shouldn't have been a deal-breaker, though, since rumor has it the entire leadership is bought and paid for by the U.S.

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