earned income

American  

noun

1. income from wages, salaries, fees, or the like, accruing from labor or services performed by the earner.

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earned income British  

noun

1. income derived from paid employment and comprising mainly wages and salaries

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Etymology

Origin of earned income

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Esther Holm, Grossman’s attorney, said the “evidence will show that she had not earned income for many years, since this accident and prior to this accident.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

You can also shave back income by harvesting investment losses to offset realized gains or some earned income.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

Minors with earned income can greatly benefit from Roth savings — if they have legitimate earned income — especially because they are likely to earn below the threshold to owe taxes.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

When you retire, you give up earned income and begin relying on what you saved throughout your career — in this case, your $830,000 in assets.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 22, 2026

Some draw on government help in the form of food stamps, housing vouchers, the earned income tax credit, or—for those coming off welfare in relatively generous states—subsidized child care.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich