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 pushes real income lower as wage growth slows.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025

Then there is what economists call the precautionary motive: the money put to one side by those worried about losing their job or suffering a fall in real income as prices surge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025

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

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2025

Instead, short-sighted guilds imposed drastic curbs on production, and now seem to be surprised that as production falls and hourly wages rise, prices also rise and real income drops.

From Triplanetary by E. E. (Edward Elmer) Smith