revenue

noun

rev·​e·​nue ˈre-və-ˌnü How to pronounce revenue (audio)
-ˌnyü
often attributive
Synonyms of revenuenext
1
: the total income produced by a given source
a property expected to yield a large annual revenue
2
: the gross income returned by an investment
3
: the yield of sources of income (such as taxes) that a political unit (such as a nation or state) collects and receives into the treasury for public use
4
: a government department concerned with the collection of the national revenue

Examples of revenue in a Sentence

The factory lost revenue because of the strike by the workers. The firm is looking for another source of revenue. Government officials have reported a decrease in revenue. state and federal tax revenues
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.
Counties would have five years to repay the loans, and would also have to pledge a source of revenue in the event FEMA didn't reimburse the funding. Alex Rozier Mississippi Today, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026 The administration’s attacks on Lemon and independent journalists have boosted their online attention and revenue. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2026 There was a debt on the company from a deal with Disney around Us Weekly and print revenues were disintegrating. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 Feb. 2026 Gwen Polk, the district’s assistant superintendent for business and financial services, said there is a lot of uncertainty about several revenue streams. Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for revenue

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, return, revenue, from Anglo-French, from revenir to return, from Latin revenire, from re- + venire to come — more at come

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of revenue was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Revenue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revenue. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

revenue

noun
rev·​e·​nue ˈrev-ə-ˌn(y)ü How to pronounce revenue (audio)
1
: the income produced by a given source
2
: the income that a government collects for public use

Legal Definition

revenue

noun
rev·​e·​nue ˈre-və-ˌnü, -ˌnyü How to pronounce revenue (audio)
often attributive
1
: the total income produced by a given source
a property expected to yield a large annual revenue
2
: the gross income returned by an investment
3
: the yield of sources of income (as taxes) that a political unit (as a nation or state) collects and receives into the treasury for public use
4
: a government department concerned with the collection of national revenue

More from Merriam-Webster on revenue

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