red ink

noun

1
: a business loss : deficit
2
: the condition of showing a business loss

Examples of red ink in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Unfortunately, Congress' willingness to boost benefits for some, without dealing with the system's inability to pay future benefits for all, foreshadows the continued inability of governing body to confront and solve the program's deep and ongoing red ink. Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025 Since that time, Boeing has reported more than $33 billion in core operating losses, and there is no end in sight to the red ink. Chris Isidore, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024 The old Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Co. earned a reputation as a no-nonsense, independent, conservative bank, and for all the years, this place kept me out of red ink. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2025 To be sure, the U.S. isn’t the only country overflowing with red ink. Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for red ink 

Word History

Etymology

from the use of red ink in financial statements to indicate a loss

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of red ink was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near red ink

Cite this Entry

“Red ink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20ink. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

red ink

noun
1
: a business loss
2
: the condition of showing a business loss
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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