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earnings

n.
US //ˈɝnɪŋz// UK //ˈɜːnɪŋz// earn·ings
  1. 1 wages or salary (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the money you get for the work you do.

    the total amount of money an individual receives as compensation for their labour or services.

    Example

    Average weekly earnings have increased slightly over the last year.

    Example

    Despite the rising cost of living, real earnings for middle-income families have remained largely stagnant for nearly a decade.

    Usage

    Always used in the plural form and requires a plural verb.
    Pitfall
    His earning is very high.
    His earnings are very high.

    The word 'earnings' is always plural and takes a plural verb.

  2. 2 company profit (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Business

    the profit a company makes after paying its costs.

    the net income or profit of a corporation over a specific fiscal period.

    Example

    The tech company reported record earnings for the third quarter.

    Example

    The corporation's quarterly earnings exceeded analyst expectations, leading to a sharp increase in share price during after-hours trading.

    Usage

    Commonly used in financial reporting and stock market analysis.

    Teacher's tip

    In a business context, 'earnings' often refers specifically to 'earnings per share' (EPS) when discussed by investors.
    • losses
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  1. 3 investment returns (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Finance

    the money you make from your investments or savings.

    the financial gains or returns generated by capital investments.

    Example

    She reinvested her earnings from the stock market into a new business.

    Example

    Long-term investors are generally more concerned with the stability of their earnings than with short-term market volatility.
Origin

From earning + -s.

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