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

In our best years, my wife and I have had a combined earned income of $195,000, yet we accumulated 22 times that.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

After offsetting gains, losses can be used to offset up to $3,000 in earned income annually, and excess losses can be rolled to future years.

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

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