earned income

American

noun

income from wages, salaries, fees, or the like, accruing from labor or services performed by the earner.

earned income British

noun

income derived from paid employment and comprising mainly wages and salaries

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of earned income

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

Earned income that is considered by the state includes wages noted on a W-2, income made from self-employment, tips received, and any other wages subject to California withholding.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2021

Earned income credits, schedule A, and other types of deductions will be different depending on the marital status that you use.

From Encyclopedia.com • Jun. 26, 2018

Earned income has been supplanted by unearned income.

From The Guardian • Apr. 15, 2016

Earned income is something for something—or return for goods provided or service rendered.

From Civilization and Beyond Learning from History by Nearing, Scott

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023