Revenue
Etymology
From French "revenue", past participle of "revenir" (to come back) — re "back" + venir "to come" (Latin venire). It is money that comes back in from the market, the mirror image of what was sent out. The image parallels the plain English "income".
noun · /REV-uh-noo/
The total money a business takes in from selling goods or services, before any costs are subtracted.
What it names
The top line of a company’s finances — the raw scale of sales, useful for sizing a business before profit enters the picture.
Example
The startup boasted record revenue, yet spent so heavily that it still lost money.
Related idea
Distinguish profit: revenue is everything that comes in, profit is what survives after every cost is paid — confusing the two makes a busy, growing company look healthier than it is.