real income

American  

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

noun

1. the amount of goods and services that money income will buy.

---

real income Cultural  

1. Income measured in terms of the goods and services it can buy.

---

Etymology

Origin of real income

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

real income

But today’s 40% offers real income, alongside real shock absorption to shaky equity markets.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

A study by financial advising company SmartAsset of the 94 largest population centers in the U.S. looked at real income growth in 2024, and the Orange County neighborhoods were in the top 15.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

The economist expects households’ real income to deteriorate further as inflation worsens, driven by supply shortages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

“But at the same time, the U.S. consumer is well positioned to absorb the real income hit from higher gas/energy prices, and AI capex trends show no signs of slowing down.”

From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026

The outcome taught them that the public will give them only limited support in their efforts to maintain their real income at the old high level compared with other classes of workers.

From A History of Trade Unionism in the United States by Selig Perlman