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

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

From MarketWatch

“Then you look on the other side, and the labor market has weakened a lot. Real income growth for lower middle-income consumers has slowed and is close to zero on average. Auto loan rates are high. Mortgage rates are high,” he said.

From Barron's

That pushes real income lower as wage growth slows.

From Barron's

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

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

From MarketWatch