# ROE

/ˈɹoʊ/ (US) · /ɹˈəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/roe
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. fish eggs

noun · CEFR B2

the eggs of a fish, often eaten as food.

For teachers: the mass of eggs contained in the ovaries of a female fish or certain crustaceans, typically used as a culinary ingredient.

- The chef served the sushi topped with bright orange salmon roe.
- The delicacy consisted of lightly salted sturgeon roe served on small pancakes with a dollop of sour cream.

### 2. business/finance

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

Stands for Return on Equity. A way to measure how much profit a company makes with its shareholders' money.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Return on Equity. A financial ratio that measures a corporation's profitability in relation to the total amount of shareholder equity.

- Investors were happy because the company reported a very high ROE this year.
- Analysts scrutinized the firm's ROE to determine whether the management was effectively utilizing reinvested earnings to generate additional growth.

### 3. military rules

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Formal

Stands for Rules of Engagement. The specific instructions that tell soldiers when they are allowed to use their weapons.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Rules of Engagement. The internal directives or orders that define the circumstances and limitations under which forces will initiate or continue combat engagement.

- The soldiers were given strict ROE to avoid hurting any civilians during the mission.
- The commander emphasized that the ROE had changed, requiring positive identification of a weapon before any defensive fire could be authorized.

### 4. a type of deer

noun · CEFR B2

a small, graceful deer found in Europe and parts of Asia.

For teachers: a small, reddish-brown species of deer (Capreolus capreolus) native to Europe and Asia Minor.

- We saw a roe deer standing quietly at the edge of the forest.
- The roe deer is known for its agility and its ability to thrive in both dense woodland and open agricultural fields.

## Examples

- Investors look at the ROE to see if the company is profitable.
- The analyst recommended the stock because the company maintained a high ROE despite the economic downturn.
- While a high ROE is generally positive, it can sometimes be misleading if a company carries excessive debt, which artificially inflates the ratio by reducing the equity base.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.