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surplus value

n. The part of the new value made by production that is taken by enterprises as generic gross profit.

Wikipedia
Surplus value

Surplus value is a central concept in Karl Marx's critique of political economy. Marx did not himself invent the term: he developed the concept. "Surplus value" is a translation of the German word "Mehrwert", which simply means value added (when the sales revenue is less than the cost of materials used up). Conventionally, value-added is equal to the sum of gross wage income and gross profit income. However, Marx's use of this concept is different, because for Marx, the Mehrwert refers to the yield, profit or return on production capital invested, i.e. the amount of the increase in the value of capital. Hence, Marx's use of Mehrwert has always been translated as "surplus value", distinguishing it from "value-added". According to Marx's theory, surplus value is equal to the new value created by workers in excess of their own labor-cost, which is appropriated by the capitalist as profit when products are sold.

Marx thought that the gigantic increase in wealth and population from the 19th century onwards was mainly due to the competitive striving to obtain maximum surplus-value from the employment of labor, resulting in an equally gigantic increase of productivity and capital resources. To the extent that increasingly the economic surplus is convertible into money and expressed in money, the amassment of wealth is possible on a larger and larger scale (see capital accumulation and surplus product).

Usage examples of "surplus value".

That sounds like the surplus value theory to me, fella, and you sound like a Marxist.

He did not understand yet how it was that any of his surplus value went to someone else, but it was only a matter of time.

I commented as we got into that beautiful machine crystallized out of stolen labor and surplus value.