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

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Etymology

Origin of cash flow

First recorded in 1950–55

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cash flow

The other three companies reported negative free cash flow for the third quarter, meaning that they spent more on infrastructure, data centers and related purchases than they generated in cash through their businesses.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Amazon, which released its quarterly earnings Thursday that missed Wall Street’s expectations, also reported a negative free cash flow of $42 billion as it spends heavily on AI.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

Late Thursday, Amazon reported plunging free cash flow and revenue that missed analyst estimates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

He also noted Intel’s observation that investments in long-term assets to benefit the business could weigh on its cash flow, or the money it generates after that spending and operating expenses.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

He gobbled up the squash I bought him earlier, but my new cash flow didn’t convince him to stay.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins

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