real income

American  

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

noun

1. the amount of goods and services that money income will buy.

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real income Cultural  

1. Income measured in terms of the goods and services it can buy.

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Etymology

Origin of real income

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

real income

A study by financial advising company SmartAsset of the 94 largest population centers in the U.S. looked at real income growth in 2024, and the Orange County neighborhoods were in the top 15.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

A “negative output gap, a languishing labor market, soft real income growth and unambiguously restrictive monetary policy should alleviate concerns around sticky underlying inflation in the U.K.,” von Ahlen argues.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

The economist expects households’ real income to deteriorate further as inflation worsens, driven by supply shortages.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

That pushes real income lower as wage growth slows.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025

Impact of the depression on business activity and real income in Minnesota.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1961 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office