earnings

The word “earnings” means money made from work, such as wages or salary. In plain terms, what someone (or a business) has made in money over some period of time.

Here is “earnings” used in a sentence: “His earnings went up after he got the promotion.”

“Earnings” is a noun.

“Earnings” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Earnings” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: money made from work, such as wages or salary.

Earnings usually refer to money made from work or a company's profit, while income is broader and can include earnings plus other sources such as interest, rent, dividends, or benefits. All earnings are income, but not all income counts as earnings.

A salary is a fixed amount paid regularly for a job, whereas earnings is a wider term covering total money made, which may include salary along with overtime, bonuses, tips, or commission. Earnings can vary even when a salary stays the same.

"Earnings" is a plural noun and takes a plural verb, as in "her earnings were higher this year." It has no everyday singular form, so you would not normally say "an earning."

Common phrases include "gross earnings," "net earnings," "earnings report," "earnings per share," and "lifetime earnings." Several of these are standard terms in business and finance.