earn

[ urn ]

/ ɜrn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR earn ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to gain or get in return for one's labor or service: to earn one's living.

to merit as compensation, as for service; deserve: to receive more than one has earned.

to acquire through merit: to earn a reputation for honesty.

to gain as due return or profit: Savings accounts earn interest.

to bring about or cause deservedly: His fair dealing earned our confidence.

verb (used without object)

to gain income: securities that earn on a quarterly basis.

Nearby words

early-type star, early-warning system, earmark, earmuff, earmuffs, earn, earn one's keep, earn one's stripes, earn, loch, earned income, earned run

Origin of earn

before 900; Middle English ern(i)en, Old English earnian; akin to Old High German arnēn to earn, harvest

SYNONYMS FOR earn

1 procure, make, receive, obtain. See gain¹.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR earn ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

earn·er, noun

Can be confused

earn urn

Definition for earning (2 of 2)

earn

[ urn ]

/ ɜrn /

verb (used without object) Obsolete.

to grieve.

Origin of earn

First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps variant of yearn

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for earning

He also bragged about earning a PhD, a point Smerconish did not question.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In the 21st century women are earning their equality every step of the way… including the bedroom.
Career-Minded Women Turn to Male Escorts For No-Strings Fun and (Maybe) Sex|Aurora Snow|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Instead of wallowing in comedy exile, Slate was earning a book deal.
The Curious Little Shell That Restarted Jenny Slate’s Career|Luke Hopping|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For many aspiring comedians, earning a place on SNL is their entire raison d'être.
The Curious Little Shell That Restarted Jenny Slate’s Career|Luke Hopping|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

When Ma was still an English teacher in Hangzhou earning $12 a month, he gathered 17 men and women in his apartment.
Alibaba’s Dark Side: Censoring Customers|Brendon Hong|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We will leave these poor devils, in pity, to trade with others; but they must not delay us to make a pretence of earning money.
No Thoroughfare|Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins
He is now earning ten shillings a week in a grocery business.
The Quiver 3/1900|Anonymous
Earning their livelihood thus basely, debauchery and crime constitute their every-day history.
Continental Monthly , Vol I, Issue I, January 1862|Various
There seemed no possibility of his ever earning enough to live decently upon.
New Grub Street|George Gissing
His soul carries itself Godward even when he is earning his daily bread.
The Whole Armour of God|John Henry Jowett

British Dictionary definitions for earning

earn

/ (ɜːn) /

verb

to gain or be paid (money or other payment) in return for work or service

(tr) to acquire, merit, or deserve through behaviour or actionhe has earned a name for duplicity

(tr) (of securities, investments, etc) to gain (interest, return, profit, etc)

Word Origin for earn

Old English earnian; related to Old High German arnēn to reap, Old Saxon asna salary, tithe

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

Idioms and Phrases with earning

earn

In addition to the idioms beginning with earn

earn one's keep
earn one's stripes

also see:

penny saved is a penny earned