What does "revenue" mean?
The income returned by an investment.
Revenue
/ˈɹɛvənjuː/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The income returned by an investment.
- Grammar: revenue is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: receipts, tax revenue, avails, box office.
- Useful contrasts: outgoing, costing, costs.
- Usage evidence: The administration cannot but look for alternative sources of revenue.
How to use "revenue"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "revenue" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "revenue" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "revenue" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "revenue" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "revenue" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "receipts" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "revenue", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The income returned by an investment. countable, uncountable
"In the seventh series of The X Factor in the UK, it's estimated the phone votes brought in more than £5.4 million in revenue."
- 2 the entire amount of income before any deductions are made wordnet
- 3 The total income received from a given source. countable, uncountable
- 4 government income due to taxation wordnet
- 5 All income generated for some political entity's treasury by taxation and other means. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 The total sales; turnover. countable, uncountable
- 7 The net income from normal business operations; net sales. countable, uncountable
- 8 A return; something paid back. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"a. 1892, Charles Spurgeon, a sermon What, no revenue of praise for him who is our gracious Lord and King! He doth not exact from us any servile labor, but simply saith, “Who so offereth praise glorifieth me.”"
Verb
- 1 To generate revenue. intransitive
- 2 To supply with revenue. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 The Inland Revenue, formed in 1849 and dissolved in 2005 to form part of HMRC. UK
"A body corporate is an entity with a legal personality of its own. The Revenue does not treat a Scottish partnership as a body corporate even though it has separate legal personality."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The administration cannot but look for alternative sources of revenue."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "revenue"?
Common synonyms include: receipts, tax revenue, avails, box office, commission, commissions.
How do you use "revenue" in a sentence?
The administration cannot but look for alternative sources of revenue.
How do you pronounce "revenue"?
Pronounced /ˈɹɛvənjuː/.
Etymology
Recorded in English from 1433, "income from property or possessions", from Middle French revenue, from Old French [Term?] (“a return”) (modern French revenu), the prop. feminine past participle of revenir (“come back”) (=modern French), from Latin revenire (“to return, come back”), from re- (“back”) + venire (“to come”).