income

American  

[in-kuhm] / ˈɪn kʌm /

noun

1. revenue received for goods or services, or from other sources, as rents or investments.

   For years, her only source of income was the small number of stocks her father left her.

2. the money, or amount of money, received from one’s employment.

   a household with three incomes;

   a healthcare worker with an income that hasn’t increased in five years.

   Synonyms:

   earnings, wages, salary, return, gains, annuity, interest

   Antonyms:

   expenditure, outgo

3. something that comes in as an addition or increase, especially by chance.

4. Archaic. a coming in.

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income British  

/ ˈɪnkəm, ˈɪnkʌm /

noun

1. the amount of monetary or other returns, either earned or unearned, accruing over a given period of time

2. receipts; revenue

3. rare an inflow or influx

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income Cultural  

1. The amount of money received during a period of time in exchange for labor or services, from the sale of goods or property, or as a profit from financial investments.

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Other Word Forms

• incomeless adjective

Etymology

Origin of income

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English: literally, “that which has come in,” noun use of incomen (past participle of incomen “to come in”), Old English incuman; see in, come

Explanation

What could be simpler than to remember that income basically refers to money that "comes in," or is earned. Your income is the money you make in a given time period, for example weekly, monthly, or annually. Your income might come from many sources — salary, investments, interest or annuities. Today income is used as a noun, but the Old English word incuman was first a verb that meant "to come in," and referred to the money earned through one's labor or business dealings. The first income tax was attempted in Britain in 1404, but was so unpopular it was ended. In the United States, the Federal Income Tax became law in 1913, and, unfortunately, is still in effect.

Example Sentences

He added: "On the upside, what we may find is landlords who treat their rentals as a passive income may decide enough is enough, and that's not necessarily a bad thing."

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Maine has about 2,600 tax filers with income over $1 million, up about 15% from 2024, according to state officials.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

The global rise in oil prices allows Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. to offset lower volume with higher income.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Cerebras also recorded net income of $237.8 million in 2025, turning a profit after years of losses.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Collins needed the extra money; although not indigent, he was always short of income since he was living off Ethel’s salary as a part-time nurse.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• cash
• compensation
• earnings
• interest
• livelihood
• pay
• proceeds
• profit
• revenue
• royalty
• salary
• wage