Finance & Corporate Jargon · Vice President level

"In the black"

"In the black" means a company or project is profitable, with revenue exceeding its costs.

Say this instead: profitable

How "In the black" shows up at work

A finance phrase that migrated into general management speak, used most often in board decks and earnings calls to signal that someone, somewhere, is pleased with a number. Occasionally true.

Buzzword

Good news: the division has finally been In the black for two consecutive quarters.

Plain English

Good news: the division has finally been profitable for two consecutive quarters.

Corporate Rank: Vice President  ·  Category: Finance & Corporate Jargon

Stop sounding like the buzzword.

Buzzkill highlights "In the black" and 634 other buzzwords in Gmail and LinkedIn, and rewrites them to plain English in one click. Free to try, 100% local.

Add to Chrome, free

More Finance & Corporate Jargon: Accretive · Bean counter · Belt-tightening · Bottom line · Burn · Capex

All Finance & Corporate Jargon · The full library · What's your Corporate Rank?