cash flow

noun

1. the sum of the after-tax profit of a business plus depreciation and other noncash charges: used as an indication of internal funds available for stock dividends, purchase of buildings and equipment, etc.

cash flow

noun

1. the movement of money into and out of a business
2. a prediction of such movement over a given period

Word History and Origins

Origin of cash flow¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

People were buying big amounts of gift cards from us to keep cash flow coming in.

From Ozy

“The investment can impact your cash flow short term, but in the long run this pays off in being able to charge more and retain employees,” Simon said.

From Washington Post

Whether its Publicis or IPG, these are businesses private equity investors can buy relatively cheaply and then, after steering them through a transition of intense cash flow and margin improvement, sell up.

From Digiday

So I think something that’ll be on the top of minds of a lot of publishers going into next year is what cash flow really looks like.

From Digiday

Having an existing business that’s profitable and that has cash flows that you can use to invest in a new or emerging business — that does help to balance out that risk.

From Fortune

“One of the most difficult parts of running a restaurant is keeping the cash flow, which can be erratic,” Moesel said.

From The Daily Beast

Wall Street is buying in because it's a huge cash-flow industry.

From The Daily Beast

Lending Club surpassed $1 billion in loans originated and became cash-flow positive in November.

From The Daily Beast

Cash flow the tuition, dipping into the house fund as necessary.

From The Daily Beast

The wages on which workers are taxed plus the business cash flow on which firms are taxed add up to consumption.

From The Daily Beast