Word
earnings
Meanings
money received for work or services, especially over a period of time
a company’s profits or net income reported for a specific period
Definition
Earnings are the money someone receives for doing work or from an activity over a period of time.
Earnings refer to the money a person or organization gets during a particular time period, often as a result of work, sales, or other activity. For individuals, it commonly means wages, salary, or income from freelance work. For companies, it often refers to profits reported for a quarter or year. The word is usually used in the plural when talking about amounts over time.
Examples
- After switching to consulting, I tracked my earnings carefully to see whether the move was sustainable.
- Your earnings may fluctuate if you rely on contract work rather than a fixed salary.
- His earnings rose steadily once he took on more responsibility at the firm.
- Her earnings from the side project covered the travel costs without affecting her main job.
- Their earnings dipped during the slow season, so they adjusted their staffing plan.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes treat "earnings" as singular (e.g., "my earnings is"), but it usually takes a plural verb ("my earnings are").
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