revenue
REH-vuhn-yoo
Revenue (noun) means the total money a business, organization, or government takes in before costs are subtracted. Example: “The company's annual revenue topped $2 billion.”
noun
1
The total money a business, organization, or government takes in before costs are subtracted.
"The company's annual revenue topped $2 billion."
"The tax raises extra revenue for road repairs."
"The bakery's revenue grew steadily once it started selling online."
2
Income produced by an investment or asset.
"Rental properties generate steady revenue each month."
"The shares brought in a small but regular revenue for the family."
"Revenue from the farm's holiday cottages helped pay for repairs."
How to use revenue
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMoney coming in — total income, before you subtract expenses.
Common mistake
Revenue is not the same as profit. Profit is what's left after costs are taken out of revenue.
Common pairings
annual revenue
tax revenue
revenue growth
generate revenue
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Word forms
- Plural
- revenues
- Third person singular
- revenues
- Past tense
- revenued
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The company's annual _____ topped $2 billion.
Etymology
Entered English around the 1400s from Old French revenue, "a return", from Latin revenire, "to come back" — literally money that "comes back" to you.
Class of 1400
revenue joined the language around 1400.
See the full Class of 1400 →
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for revenue
See all rhymes for revenue →Frequently asked questions
What does “revenue” mean?
The word “revenue” means the total money a business, organization, or government takes in before costs are subtracted. In plain terms, money coming in — total income, before you subtract expenses.
How do you pronounce “revenue”?
“Revenue” is pronounced REH-vuhn-yoo (/ˈɹɛvəˌn(j)u/ in IPA).
How do you use “revenue” in a sentence?
Here is “revenue” used in a sentence: “The tax raises extra revenue for road repairs.”
What is another word for “revenue”?
Words with a similar meaning to “revenue” include net sales and turnover.
What part of speech is “revenue”?
“Revenue” is a noun.
Where does the word “revenue” come from?
The word “revenue” dates back to around 1400 and comes from Latin. Entered English around the 1400s from Old French revenue, "a return", from Latin revenire, "to come back" — literally money that "comes back" to you.
Is “revenue” a common word?
“Revenue” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “revenue” have?
“Revenue” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the total money a business, organization, or government takes in before costs are subtracted.
What is the difference between revenue and profit?
Revenue is all the money a business takes in from its sales before any costs are removed — the 'top line'. Profit is what remains after expenses, wages, tax and other costs are subtracted — the 'bottom line'. A company can have huge revenue yet make no profit, which is why the two should never be confused.
What is the difference between revenue and income?
In everyday speech the two overlap, but in accounting they differ. Revenue is the total money coming in from sales or operations. Income usually means what is left once certain costs are deducted, which is why people speak of 'net income'. Revenue is the starting figure; income is generally a narrower, refined amount.
What are the types of revenue?
Businesses usually split it into operating revenue, earned from core activities like selling goods or services, and non-operating revenue, which comes from side sources such as interest or investments. Revenue can also be described as recurring, arriving predictably each month, or one-off. Governments, by contrast, raise revenue largely through taxes and duties.
Why is revenue important?
Revenue shows whether a business can attract customers and sell what it offers, making it the foundation of every other financial figure. Investors watch revenue growth to judge momentum, and no company can turn a profit without it first. Steady, rising revenue signals demand and health, even before costs and margins are considered.
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