earnings
Americannoun
plural noun
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money or other payment earned
-
the profits of an enterprise
Etymology
Origin of earnings
before 1050; Middle English erning, Old English earning, earnung merit, pay. See earn 1, -ing 1, -s 3
Explanation
Earnings are the amount of money you make from doing a job. You'll be a lot more excited about babysitting when you learn your earnings will be more than generous. Most earnings come from work that you've done, although money you earn from an investment can also be called earnings. Any financial profit or gain you make go into the earnings category, since you earn that money, whether through work, luck, or intelligence. The Proto-Germanic root, *aznon, means "do harvest work."
Vocabulary lists containing earnings
One Idea, Part 1
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Century 21 Accounting, 9e, Chapters 11-14
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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.
Samrith Sarav sorted garbage at a recycling plant for as little as $1 a day to supplement her husband’s daily earnings of $5 to $7 as a motorcycle taxi driver.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
While earnings and revenue came in better-than-expected, guidance missed the mark.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
“Inflows are booming, supported by robust earnings growth, still modest overall equity positioning and elevated buyback activity,” the Deutsche Bank strategists said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
Unlike newly listed companies, whose valuations may swing sharply in early trading, underwriters offer diversified earnings streams and historically more stable business models.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
Grazdan zo Galare asked that he be granted a portion of their earnings.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
