1 revenue | Definition of revenue
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

revenue

noun, often attributive
rev·​e·​nue | \ ˈre-və-ˌnü How to pronounce revenue (audio) , -ˌnyü\

Definition of revenue

1 : the total income produced by a given source a property expected to yield a large annual revenue
2 : the gross income returned by an investment
3 : the yield of sources of income (such as taxes) that a political unit (such as a nation or state) collects and receives into the treasury for public use
4 : a government department concerned with the collection of the national revenue
Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about revenue

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of revenue in a Sentence

The factory lost revenue because of the strike by the workers. The firm is looking for another source of revenue. Government officials have reported a decrease in revenue. state and federal tax revenues
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 Guests included Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was also to sign a maritime boundary treaty and seabed oil and gas revenue-sharing deal that can benefit the impoverished nation of 1.3 million people. — Washington Post, "East Timor marks anniversary of vote for independence," 31 Aug. 2019 By revenue, Chinese lotteries are on course to overtake America’s this year, to become the world’s biggest. — The Economist, "The Chinese state manages the world’s second-biggest lottery industry," 31 Aug. 2019 More: Marijuana tax revenues may not be the long-term answer to Michigan budget woes Patients or caregivers who have these medical marijuana products should destroy them or return them to wherever they were purchased. — Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press, "State orders recall of marijuana products tested by shuttered Walled Lake lab," 30 Aug. 2019 Five years ago, Regan said the city needed new sources of revenue due to cuts in Ohio’s local-government fund, which provides money to municipalities. — Bob Sandrick, cleveland.com, "Broadview Heights voters to decide Nov. 5 whether to renew police tax; early voting starts Oct. 8," 29 Aug. 2019 The automobile club recommends that governments increase use of red light cameras directly supervised by authorities in order to boost enforcement where needed and not to raise revenue. — orlandosentinel.com, "Deaths caused by drivers running red lights at 10-year high," 29 Aug. 2019 Campos has tried to increase revenues to match, with the program crossing $30 million for the same year. — Greg Luca, ExpressNews.com, "UTSA athletics focused on finances in Campos’ second year," 29 Aug. 2019 In fact, when compared to 2018, tax revenues went up 3 percent in the first nine months of fiscal year 2019. — Michael Tanner, National Review, "The Moral Dimension to Our National Debt," 28 Aug. 2019 The average Premier League club made about £123m from the league's broadcast and 'central revenue' deal in 2018/19. — SI.com, "Bury FC Is Functionally Dead. What Next?," 28 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'revenue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of revenue

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for revenue

Middle English, return, revenue, from Anglo-French, from revenir to return, from Latin revenire, from re- + venire to come — more at come

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for revenue

revenue

noun

Financial Definition of revenue

What It Is

Revenue, also called sales (or turnover, in the UK), refers to the value of the products and services a company sells.

Net revenue usually refers to a company's sales net of discounts and returns.

How It Works

Let's assume grocery store XYZ sold $100,000 worth of food for the year. It would record these sales as revenue on the very top of its income statement (as shown below).

Why It Matters

Revenue is a measure of how much raw income a company is bringing in from sales of its products and services. A company that sees its revenue rise every year signals that a company is selling more of its products and services which can help it grow. Falling revenues each year signal that a company is faltering or shrinking.

Generally, the more revenue a company brings in the more money a company has to work with to pay expenses and make a profit.

Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and industry standards often determine when a company can record revenue. For example, if a wholesaler sells a product for $10,000, does it record the sale when it receives the order, when it ships the product a week later, or when it receives payment from the buyer a month after that? Revenue recognition standards answer these questions, which vary by industry and type of sale. You can usually learn what a company’s revenue recognition policies are in the notes to its financial statements.

Source: Investing Answers

revenue

noun
How to pronounce revenue (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of revenue

finance
: money that is made by or paid to a business or an organization
: money that is collected for public use by a government through taxes

See the full definition for revenue in the English Language Learners Dictionary

revenue

noun
rev·​e·​nue | \ ˈre-və-ˌnü How to pronounce revenue (audio) , -ˌnyü\

Kids Definition of revenue

1 : money that is made by or paid to a business or organization sales revenues
2 : money collected by a government (as through taxes)

Keep scrolling for more

revenue

noun, often attributive
rev·​e·​nue | \ ˈre-və-ˌnü, -ˌnyü How to pronounce revenue (audio) \

Legal Definition of revenue

1 : the total income produced by a given source a property expected to yield a large annual revenue
2 : the gross income returned by an investment
3 : the yield of sources of income (as taxes) that a political unit (as a nation or state) collects and receives into the treasury for public use
4 : a government department concerned with the collection of national revenue

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!