We define Total Adjusted Segment EBITDA, which is anon-GAAP financial measure, as the total of Adjusted Segment EBITDA for all segments, which excludes unallocated corporate expenses. We define Adjusted EBITDA, which is anon-GAAP financial measure, as consolidated net income before income tax provision, othernon-operating income (expense), depreciation, amortization of intangible assets, remeasurement of acquisition-related contingent consideration, special charges, goodwill impairment charges, gain or loss on sale of a business and losses on early extinguishment of debt. We believe that thesenon-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with our GAAP financial results and GAAP financial measures, provide management and investors with a more complete understanding of our operating results, including underlying trends. In addition, EBITDA is a common alternative measure of operating performance used by many of our competitors. It is used by investors, financial analysts, rating agencies and others to value and compare the financial performance of companies in our industry. Therefore, we also believe that these measures, considered along with corresponding GAAP financial measures, provide management and investors with additional information for comparison of our operating results with the operating results of other companies.
We define Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share (“Adjusted EPS”), which arenon-GAAP financial measures, as net income and earnings per diluted share (“EPS”), respectively, excluding the impact of remeasurement of acquisition-related contingent consideration, special charges, goodwill impairment charges, losses on early extinguishment of debt,non-cash interest expense on convertible notes, gain or loss on sale of a business and the impact of adopting the 2017 U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “2017 Tax Act”). We use Adjusted Net Income for the purpose of calculating Adjusted EPS. Management uses Adjusted EPS to assess total Company operating performance on a consistent basis. We believe that thesenon-GAAP financial measures, when considered together with our GAAP financial results, provide management and investors with an additional understanding of our business operating results, including underlying trends.
We define Free Cash Flow, which is anon-GAAP financial measure, as net cash provided by operating activities less cash payments for purchases of property and equipment. We believe thisnon-GAAP financial measure, when considered together with our GAAP financial results, provides management and investors with an additional understanding of the Company’s ability to generate cash for ongoing business operations and other capital deployment.
Non-GAAP financial measures are not defined in the same manner by all companies and may not be comparable with other similarly titled measures of other companies.Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for or superior to, the information contained in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income. Reconciliations ofnon-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the financial tables accompanying this press release.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which involve uncertainties and risks. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events, future revenues, future results and performance, expectations, plans or intentions relating to acquisitions, share repurchases and other matters, business trends and other information that is not historical, including statements regarding estimates of our future financial results. When used in this press release, words such as “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,”