downlinen.
/ˈdaʊnlʌɪn/, U.S. /ˈdaʊnˌlaɪn/ The more junior employees in an operation or company, considered collectively or as a group; spec. the distributors at the lower levels of a network marketing or pyramid selling scheme, whose sales or referrals generate income for those above them.
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1982 Bedford (Pa.) Gaz. 7 Aug. 8/5 Establish a business which offers a financially rewarding career without extensive product and distributor training,..no being passed up by your downline.
1983 Colorado Springs Gaz.-Tel. 17 June g 4/1 How do you make money in MLM?.. You receive commission on the sales of your downline.
1999 Guardian 10 July (Jobs & Money section) 2/5 When you have a downline—those you have recruited—five layers deep, your earnings start.
2012 M. Yarnell in M. Yarnell et al. How to become Filthy, Stinking Rich through Network Marketing xv. 216 The odds of everyone in an entire downline sharing the same personality traits, skills, and interests are zero.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1982