income

American  

[in-kuhm] / ˈɪn kʌm /

noun

• incomes
  plural

1. revenue received for goods or services, or from other sources, as rents or investments.

   For years, her only source of income was the small number of stocks her father left her.

2. the money, or amount of money, received from one’s employment.

   a household with three incomes;

   a healthcare worker with an income that hasn’t increased in five years.

   Synonyms:

   earnings, wages, salary, return, gains, annuity, interest

   Antonyms:

   expenditure, outgo

3. something that comes in as an addition or increase, especially by chance.

4. Archaic. a coming in.

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income British  

/ ˈɪnkəm, ˈɪnkʌm /

noun

1. the amount of monetary or other returns, either earned or unearned, accruing over a given period of time

2. receipts; revenue

3. rare an inflow or influx

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income Cultural  

1. The amount of money received during a period of time in exchange for labor or services, from the sale of goods or property, or as a profit from financial investments.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• incomeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• incomes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of income

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English: literally, “that which has come in,” noun use of incomen (past participle of incomen “to come in”), Old English incuman; see in, come

Explanation

What could be simpler than to remember that income basically refers to money that "comes in," or is earned. Your income is the money you make in a given time period, for example weekly, monthly, or annually. Your income might come from many sources — salary, investments, interest or annuities. Today income is used as a noun, but the Old English word incuman was first a verb that meant "to come in," and referred to the money earned through one's labor or business dealings. The first income tax was attempted in Britain in 1404, but was so unpopular it was ended. In the United States, the Federal Income Tax became law in 1913, and, unfortunately, is still in effect.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

income incomes

The company’s increased 6.8 billion euro commercial net interest income guidance for 2026 is conservative, Citi says, with Citi’s own estimate between 1% and 2% higher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

That’s because many lower-income households owe little or no federal income tax, so they can’t profit from the tax breaks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

The home-equity loan gives you access to cash without creating taxable income, but it also puts your home at risk.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

The distribution yield looks attractive, but what percentage of it is covered by cash net investment income?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

It wasn’t hard to see what sort of person might like to have such a loan: one with no income.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

There was a wide variance in incomes in cities in California with the most growth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

For pundits and influencers, that could mean boosting their voices and incomes.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

Tourism is the largest contributor to Cornwall's economy, but it comes at a price for local families bringing up children on the lowest incomes.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

More people would rise into higher brackets and pay more in tax as their incomes grow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Rising incomes, flattening prices, and easily available credit have given so many Americans access to such a wide array of high-end goods that traditional markers of status have lost much of their meaning.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Related Words

• cash
• compensation
• earnings
• interest
• livelihood
• pay
• proceeds
• profit
• revenue
• royalty
• salary
• wage