payables

4.7

Money a company owes to people or companies that it must pay soon

noun
/ˈpeɪəblz/

Specialized

: cuentas por pagar

The company's payables increased significantly this quarter due to higher raw material costs.

And we've got one here at the Late Show, our accounts payable guy, Andy, super sweet guy.

Examples

We're talking about improving the accounts payable process at Rockwell Collins.
And we've got one here at the Late Show, our accounts payable guy, Andy, super sweet guy.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
We're looking at the, the accounts payable process here.
She manages the payables, ensuring all invoices are paid on time.
The finance team regularly reviews the payables to maintain cash flow.

Synonyms

accounts payable

vspayables

Specialized

1 3.7

Money a company owes suppliers for goods or services bought on credit

is specifically short term amounts owed to suppliers or creditors expected soon

liabilities

vspayables

Specialized

1 4.8

Money that a person or company owes to others

is narrower and means only short term amounts owed to suppliers or creditors

Antonyms

receivables

Specialized

6.1

Money that customers owe a business for goods or services sold on credit

Surface Forms

payable singular

payables plural

Morphology

payables = payable (transparent) = pay + able + s

Formed by regular pluralization of 'payable' (which itself is transparently 'pay' + '-able'); the meaning 'amounts owed' follows directly from the base.

Etymology

The word payables comes from pay ('to give money') and the ending -able ('able to be'). So payables are amounts 'able to be paid', which is why in business it means the money a company owes to others and will pay soon.