net income

American  

noun

1. the excess of revenues and gains of a business over expenses and losses during a given period of time.

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Etymology

Origin of net income

First recorded in 1760–70

Compare meaning

How does net-income compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gross income vs. net income

Example Sentences

The retailer posted net income of $320 million, or $3.54 a share, compared with $264 million, or $3.24 a share, the year before.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

The company posted net income of $183 million, or 90 cents a share, compared with $105 million, or 49 cents a share, the year prior.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Talk to your accountant or tax attorney about the rules for distributable net income to ensure that the $300,000 is distributed to your beneficiaries and taxed on their personal returns.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

The strategy is expensive: first-quarter revenue rose 5% to 315.7 billion yuan, but net income fell 53% to 5.1 billion yuan as fulfillment, R&D, and marketing costs rose.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

His company boosted net income by 14 percent in 2008, and he fully expects the growth to continue.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander