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.
Finance projections at Houston City Hall show steps city officials took to close a budget deficit in the proposal Mayor John Whitmire announced Tuesday would significantly reduce future red ink. Abby Church, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026 Solutions are few without an influx of cash to stem the tide of rising red ink at the hospital, which has been a part of the city since the 1920s. Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026 The budget has been bleeding red ink ever since. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026 Instead of looking to broadly reduce compensation costs as a central part of efforts to cover red ink, Mayor Gloria, City Council President Joe LaCava and increasingly radical Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera led the push to squeeze constituents. U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026 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 18 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

red ink

noun
1
: a business loss
2
: the condition of showing a business loss
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster