earn
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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to gain or get in return for one's labor or service.
to earn one's living.
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to merit as compensation, as for service; deserve.
to receive more than one has earned.
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to acquire through merit.
to earn a reputation for honesty.
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to gain as due return or profit.
Savings accounts earn interest.
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to bring about or cause deservedly.
His fair dealing earned our confidence.
verb (used without object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to gain or be paid (money or other payment) in return for work or service
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(tr) to acquire, merit, or deserve through behaviour or action
he has earned a name for duplicity
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(tr) (of securities, investments, etc) to gain (interest, return, profit, etc)
Synonym Usage
See gain 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of earn1
First recorded before 900; Middle English ern(i)en Old English earnian; akin to Old High German arnēn “to earn, harvest”
Origin of earn2
First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps variant of yearn
Explanation
When you earn something, you gain it as a result of your actions. You can earn your friend's gratitude by rescuing her pet kitten from a tree. Earning has to do with things people get through their own efforts or behavior. A good friend earns your trust. A dishonest coworker might earn a reputation as a liar. This word is also used in financial contexts. If someone asks how much you earned last year, they're asking how much money you made at your job.
Vocabulary lists containing earn
Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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Workshop 1, Part 1
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Bronx Masquerade
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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.
But there have always been big questions about whether consumers shared that view and whether the Cybertruck could cut through and earn a spot in the US' lucrative truck market.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Will some old faces earn a recall or will there be new faces soon pulling on the England shirt?
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Goldman partners can earn salaries of about $1 million, with the potential for far more in bonuses and other compensation, much of it in company shares.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
It is a trust that leaders must continually earn.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
Sometimes it felt good to know things she didn’t know and earn grades she didn’t get.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
