earn
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to gain or get in return for one's labor or service.
to earn one's living.
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to merit as compensation, as for service; deserve.
to receive more than one has earned.
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to acquire through merit.
to earn a reputation for honesty.
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to gain as due return or profit.
Savings accounts earn interest.
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to bring about or cause deservedly.
His fair dealing earned our confidence.
verb (used without object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to gain or be paid (money or other payment) in return for work or service
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(tr) to acquire, merit, or deserve through behaviour or action
he has earned a name for duplicity
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(tr) (of securities, investments, etc) to gain (interest, return, profit, etc)
Synonym Usage
See gain 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of earn1
First recorded before 900; Middle English ern(i)en Old English earnian; akin to Old High German arnēn “to earn, harvest”
Origin of earn2
First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps variant of yearn
Explanation
When you earn something, you gain it as a result of your actions. You can earn your friend's gratitude by rescuing her pet kitten from a tree. Earning has to do with things people get through their own efforts or behavior. A good friend earns your trust. A dishonest coworker might earn a reputation as a liar. This word is also used in financial contexts. If someone asks how much you earned last year, they're asking how much money you made at your job.
Vocabulary lists containing earn
Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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Workshop 1, Part 1
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Bronx Masquerade
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The records are still there and still sound great, even if they didn’t earn their creators the kind of money and lifestyle that they deserved.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
CDs can be a reasonable fit: you earn interest while keeping the money on a predictable schedule.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
And those who find ways to learn and contribute quickly, like Thompson, will earn playing time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
While Premier League footballers can earn tens of thousands of pounds a week - sometimes hundreds of thousands - life in the lower leagues can be very different.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Workers in rural areas, which are home to two-thirds of the population, earn less than a dollar a day on average.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
