cash flow

American  

noun

cash flows plural

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.

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cash flow British  

noun

1. the movement of money into and out of a business

2. a prediction of such movement over a given period

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cash flows
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cash flow

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cash flow

And as Alphabet spends billions on AI, it just reported its first quarter ever with negative free cash flow.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026

It turns out that managing cash flow, planning for retirement and building, and maintaining a diversified portfolio requires a healthy dose of human judgment.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Vontobel expects moderate upside on growth and margins for the full year, while cash flow is likely to be more subdued due to temporary effects, the analyst adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Alphabet and Tesla reported negative free cash flow as they increased spending on artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and robotics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Steven’s mother has had to take a leave of absence from her job to take care of Jeffrey, so just when their need is greatest, half of their cash flow is gone.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick