earnings

American

[ur-ningz] / ˈɜr nɪŋz /

noun

money earned; wages; profits.

earnings British

/ ˈɜːnɪŋz /

plural noun

money or other payment earned
the profits of an enterprise

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of earnings

before 1050; Middle English erning, Old English earning, earnung merit, pay. See earn ¹, -ing ¹, -s ³

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

So while Essilor’s forward earnings multiple is higher than Meta’s, it is now below its five-year average.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Still, the shares aren’t exactly cheap, changing hands for 25 times expected earnings to Meta’s 18-times multiple.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Rising consensus estimates for this year and next also point to a robust earnings outlook.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Sure, earnings estimates could inch higher as long oil remains around current levels for a few weeks, writes Seaport Research Partners chief U.S. equity strategist Jonathan Golub.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

We spent some of our skimpy earnings on thick plastic sheets to keep our home dry, because Arul said the rainy season was approaching.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023