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

Bloom reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings last month, although investors eyed its spending and negative cash flow.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

The Canadian business-jet maker now expects to generate over $1.3 billion in free cash flow, up from a previous expectation of $1 billion or more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

By contrast, hyperscalers could see stronger cash flow as spending moderates, giving them room to resume buybacks or raise dividends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

So companies can overspend on buybacks, continuing to repurchase even when their shares are trading at historically high levels to earnings, cash flow or book value.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 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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