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

Chevron projected the Tengiz oil field would generate $6 billion in free cash flow for the company this year, assuming oil traded at $70 a barrel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

That erased $215 billion in market value after the electric-vehicle maker missed earnings targets and reported negative cash flow for the first time in two years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

The 2Q operating margin of 4.2% is below the 4.7% forecast in a company-compiled consensus but in line with Bernstein’s, while cash flow was ahead of consensus but again in line with Bernstein.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Hannah Pedone explained how the company reported negative free cash flow for the first time and looked ahead at how Alphabet will keep spending heavily over coming quarters.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

But luggage sales were only a small portion of Peninsula Luggage's cash flow.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi