earnings
Americannoun
plural noun
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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.
In addition to improved earnings for the past quarter, Cracker Barrel also boosted its expectations for sales and profits for the rest of the fiscal year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Samrith Sarav sorted garbage at a recycling plant for as little as $1 a day to supplement her husband’s daily earnings of $5 to $7 as a motorcycle taxi driver.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
He’s still largely bullish, citing solid earnings prospects, resilient consumer spending and reasonably modest credit spreads, but isn’t ready to take his eye off the screen just yet.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
That outcome can also threaten a household’s food security: Problem gambling is associated with psychological distress, anxiety and depression, the authors said, which could in turn impact a person’s job performance and earnings.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 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.
