distributions (dividends) are cash and property paid to the corporation's stock owners for which the corporation is not entitled to a deduction (other than non-deductible expenses like life insurance).
another way to say this is that it's the distribution of a portion of the company's earnings )income whether taxable or not less deductions whether deductible or not.
But would cash distributions in this meaning include return of investment capital back to shareholders? Or any cash dividend/non-dividend distribution in general? the answer is yes.