income

American  

[in-kuhm] / ˈɪn kʌm /

noun

• incomes
  plural

1. revenue received for goods or services, or from other sources, as rents or investments.

   For years, her only source of income was the small number of stocks her father left her.

2. the money, or amount of money, received from one’s employment.

   a household with three incomes;

   a healthcare worker with an income that hasn’t increased in five years.

   Synonyms:

   earnings, wages, salary, return, gains, annuity, interest

   Antonyms:

   expenditure, outgo

3. something that comes in as an addition or increase, especially by chance.

4. Archaic. a coming in.

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income British  

/ ˈɪnkəm, ˈɪnkʌm /

noun

1. the amount of monetary or other returns, either earned or unearned, accruing over a given period of time

2. receipts; revenue

3. rare an inflow or influx

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income Cultural  

1. The amount of money received during a period of time in exchange for labor or services, from the sale of goods or property, or as a profit from financial investments.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• incomeless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• incomes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of income

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English: literally, “that which has come in,” noun use of incomen (past participle of incomen “to come in”), Old English incuman; see in, come

Explanation

What could be simpler than to remember that income basically refers to money that "comes in," or is earned. Your income is the money you make in a given time period, for example weekly, monthly, or annually. Your income might come from many sources — salary, investments, interest or annuities. Today income is used as a noun, but the Old English word incuman was first a verb that meant "to come in," and referred to the money earned through one's labor or business dealings. The first income tax was attempted in Britain in 1404, but was so unpopular it was ended. In the United States, the Federal Income Tax became law in 1913, and, unfortunately, is still in effect.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

income incomes

You may be able to get a grant from your local authority if your income is below a certain threshold or you're receiving certain benefits.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

High growth rates persist, even after excluding the sizable boosts to reported net income of several hyperscalers coming from markups to private investments in companies like Anthropic.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

Dick’s Sporting Goods fell 31% to $124.31 after the sportswear chain cut its operating income outlook, citing increasingly tough conditions in the athletic footwear and apparel markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Save the Children said the new uniform rules are a "good start" but back-to-school costs remain a concern for families across almost all income brackets.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Throughout his life, Kepler used astrology as a means to supplement his always inadequate income.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

The parish has slightly lower incomes and higher poverty than the state at large.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The U.S. passed legislation in the 1950s to substantially fund and expand the interstate highway system, boosting productivity, incomes and trade, including in regions where travel had been difficult.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

The West Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales and the north east of England all have lower disposable incomes.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

He told AFP debt delinquency was "not a consequence of individual decisions" but the result of "a macroeconomic context that has worsened incomes, employment and economic activity."

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Countries with higher per capita incomes than North Korea include Sudan, Congo, and Laos.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Related Words

• cash
• compensation
• earnings
• interest
• livelihood
• pay
• proceeds
• profit
• revenue
• royalty
• salary
• wage