earnings
Americannoun
plural noun
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Century 21 Accounting, 9e, Chapters 11-14
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Asian stocks stuttered Wednesday as investors fought to claw back the previous day's steep tech losses, with focus turning to US inflation data and upcoming earnings from key AI-linked firms.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The announcement came less 24 hours before Bank of America was due to announce its quarterly earnings on Wednesday morning.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
While growth was strong across earnings, credit and margin outlooks, investors are still feeling nervous about the potential of a Fed rate hike and its impact on banks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The researchers also wrote that a boost in spending among AI hyperscalers is driving earnings at semiconductor companies and others connected to the trade, which currently accounts for between one-third and one-half of U.S. growth.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
The drawer that had held the majority of Ophie’s and her mama’s earnings over the past few months hung open, the money gone.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
