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
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Century 21 Accounting, 9e, Chapters 11-14
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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.
The outlook for artificial intelligence has provided a fresh boost to the tech sector in recent weeks, with some optimism for the upcoming earnings season.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
As soybean farmer David Schacht begins his fall harvest, surging diesel and fertilizer costs are fast outpacing his earnings.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The carrier’s stock has outperformed its rivals heading into third-quarter earnings season.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
JPM raises HSBC’s 2027 earnings per share estimate by 1%, but makes limited changes to its estimate for Standard Chartered, with slightly higher net interest income offset by higher costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
But his earnings were dependent on tips from the customers he served.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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.
