earned income

American  

noun

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

---

earned income British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of earned income

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

You also have to have enough combined earned income to be equal to or exceeding the total contributions you both make.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 16, 2026

He also authored two opinions on a federal agricultural program from which he, as a farm owner, had earned income, while disclosing his participation in the program in court.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

They could lose out on the earned income tax credit, which subsidizes lower-wage workers.

From Slate • Feb. 19, 2025

To help all workers in low-paid jobs, presidential candidates might propose increasing the standard deduction or the earned income tax credit.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2024

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