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

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

From 1962 to 2024, males between ages 25 and 44 saw real income growth of around 45%.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 13, 2025

"However, softer earnings growth, higher inflation, tighter fiscal policy, and the lagged impact of past interest rate rises for some mortgagors point to much weaker real income growth moving forward."

From BBC • Sep. 5, 2025

The most palpable and the most fundamental effects will be a partial stoppage of earnings in the nations directly concerned, i.e., a reduction in the "real income," which consists of enjoyable goods.

From The New York Times Current History of the European War, Vol. 1, January 9, 1915 What Americans Say to Europe by Various