receivable

Intermediate 💰 Finance / Accounting

Definition

Money that someone owes you but hasn't paid yet, living in that optimistic space between "they said they'd pay" and "we're calling the lawyers." It's an asset on paper because theoretically you'll collect it, but in practice it's IOU notes from varying degrees of reliable sources. Also known as "accounts receivable" when accountants want to sound official.

Example Usage

The company had $200,000 in receivables, though half of it was from clients who'd mastered the art of avoiding phone calls.

Source: Accounting terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

accounting

The ancient art of recording, classifying, and summarizing financial transactions, then presenting them in ways that either enlighten or confuse everyone involved. It's the language of business, spoken fluently by people who find tax codes exciting. Keeps companies legal, investors informed, and provides employment for millions who really, really like spreadsheets.

💰 Finance / Accounting
Beginner

gross profit margin

The percentage of revenue remaining after subtracting cost of goods sold, revealing how much you make before paying for all the other stuff that keeps businesses running. High margins are good; low margins mean you're working hard to stay broke.

💰 Finance / Accounting
Beginner

Leverage

To use something that already exists rather than building something new, which sounds strategic but usually means "we have no budget." The Swiss Army knife of corporate verbs -- it can mean literally anything.

💼 Corporate / Business💰 Finance / Accounting
Intermediate

misappropriation

The corporate euphemism for 'stealing,' typically involving someone with fiduciary responsibility who decided that 'other people's money' is really more of a suggestion than a rule. It's the white-collar crime of choice for accountants, executives, and nonprofit board members who convinced themselves they were just 'borrowing' the funds temporarily. Unlike shoplifting a candy bar, this usually involves spreadsheets, offshore accounts, and a lawyer explaining why technically it's 'misappropriation' not 'theft.'

💰 Finance / Accounting
Beginner

journal entry

A recorded transaction in the accounting system showing debits and credits that must balance. Each entry tells a tiny story of money moving, though reading them is only slightly more entertaining than watching paint dry.

💰 Finance / Accounting
Intermediate

Liquidity

How quickly you can turn an asset into cash without losing value, which is finance's polite way of asking how fast you can run to the ATM. Your checking account is highly liquid; your collection of vintage Beanie Babies is decidedly not.

💰 Finance / Accounting

Translate This Term

See “receivable” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on XShare on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Advanced

midnight regulation

Rules rushed through by an outgoing administration in their final months, cramming four years of policy wishes into a la...