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Finance & Banking vocabulary · Financial Statements

In the red

Meaning in finance & banking, with examples

idiomCommon term

In finance & banking, in the red means: Losing money or owing money: a company is in the red when it makes a loss, and an account is in the red when its balance is below zero.

In Turkish: zararda, eksi bakiyede, zarar etmek

How it is used

Informal but common in meetings, the news and with customers. Firms go into the red or stay in the red, and accounts are in the red. The opposite is 'in the black'. It comes from the old habit of writing losses in red ink.

Example sentences

  1. The airline was in the red for three years before it returned to profit.

  2. Your account has been in the red since the 10th, so overdraft interest is being charged.

Common collocations

  • go into the red
  • stay in the red
  • deep in the red
  • out of the red
  • net incomeWhat is left of a company's revenue after all costs, interest, taxes and other expenses are deducted. When it is negative, it is called a net loss.
  • overdraftAn arrangement that lets you spend more money than you have in your current account, up to an agreed limit, usually with interest charged on the negative balance.
  • balanceThe amount of money in an account at a particular time, or the amount still owed on a loan or credit card.
  • income statementA financial statement showing a company's revenue, costs and profit or loss over a period, such as a quarter or a year.

More terms: Financial Statements

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not financial advice.