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.
And soon a huge 2025 budget bill will add trillions of dollars more to deficits in the same way, aided by a law that was supposed to limit the flow of red ink. Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Market opens down, red ink everywhere, and then, what? Jim Cramer, CNBC, 21 May 2025 President Donald Trump made clear to voters his desire to impose a modicum of restraint on a federal government gushing red ink to the tune of $37 trillion. Editorial, Boston Herald, 30 Mar. 2025 Indeed, The Associated Press reports that California’s Medicaid program is hemorrhaging red ink. Editorial, Boston Herald, 22 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Red ink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20ink. Accessed 4 Jul. 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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