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

That paper gain was a financial curse for families intending to stay put: While real income remained flat, tax bills went up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

"The subdued labor market, depressed confidence, meager real income growth, and exhaustion of pandemic-era excess savings all are starting to weigh on households," he warned.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

“On Jan. 1, working Americans will reset their withholding levels, and they will have substantial real income increases,” Bessent said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025

Moreover, whether in merchants' or consumers' hands they produce a real income, in the latter case consisting of the comforts and conveniences which attend their consumption.

From The Evolution of Modern Capitalism A Study of Machine Production by J. A. (John Atkinson) Hobson