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cash flow

cash flow

69 3.4
Money that comes into and goes out of a business or person during a period
  • noun
  • /kæʃ floʊ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : flujo de caja
  • The accountant prepared a detailed report on the cash flow of the business for the last quarter.
  • cash flow statement
  • net cash flow
  • positive cash flow

We're looking for businesses with high cash flow and high growth.

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Examples

  • Understanding your cash flow can help you make better financial decisions.

  • We're looking for businesses with high cash flow and high growth.

  • It's caused a serious cash flow problem.

  • As soon as I get the cash flow, I'll pay you back.

  • Listen, Ronald, we need to talk about cash flow.

  • I mean, it's hard enough to estimate cash flows next year.

  • Why not take some of your cash flow and diversify it?

  • So limit your expenditures, increase your cash flow with a simple goal.

  • I have a printout of the cash flow of the bank for the past two months.

  • A firm's market value reflects the present value of expected future net cash flows, as perceived by investors.

    Academic text (2001)

How Positive

cash in hand
3 3.4
cash flow
  • Specialized
69 3.4
to break even
27 3.3
shortfall
50 5.5

Surface Forms

cash flow singular
cash flows plural

Morphology

cash + flow

The meaning ('movement/availability of money') follows directly from combining 'cash' (money) with 'flow' (movement/supply), so the phrase is compositional and its sense is predictable from its parts. Although it is a business/finance term, the construction is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish 'flujo de caja'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Cash flow uses a simple picture: cash is money and flow is like a river, so imagine money moving into and out of a business. That's why cash flow means the amount of 'money coming in and going out' in a set time.