in the black

🌎Region: International 📊Difficulty Level:intermediate

💡Meaning

Financially profitable; not in debt or operating at a loss.

🕰️Origin

From traditional bookkeeping: profits and positive balances were often written in black ink, while losses/deficits were marked in red, leading to the contrast with “in the red.”

📝Notes

Used mainly for companies, budgets, or accounts. Neutral register; common in business and everyday talk. Often contrasted with “in the red.”

💬Examples

After two years of losses, the company is finally in the black again.
We cut expenses and raised prices slightly, and now the restaurant is in the black.
As long as you keep your monthly budget in the black, you can start saving for a trip.
The project looked risky, but it ended up finishing in the black.
By the end of the quarter, even the smallest stores were back in the black.

📘Grammar & Usage Notes

Typically used after forms of “be”: “be in the black.” Can be used with “back” (get back in the black). Refers to financial status, not physical color.

🔗Synonyms

profitable
in profit
operating in surplus
solvent

↔️Antonyms

in the red
in debt
at a loss