earnings
- 01 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.
Simple“Average weekly earnings have increased slightly over the last year.”
In context“Despite the rising cost of living, real earnings for middle-income families have remained largely stagnant for nearly a decade.”
UsageAlways used in the plural form and requires a plural verb.
PitfallHis earning is very high. His earnings are very high.The word 'earnings' is always plural and takes a plural verb.
- 02 C1 Advanced
the profit a company makes after paying its costs.
the net income or profit of a corporation over a specific fiscal period.
Simple“The tech company reported record earnings for the third quarter.”
In context“The corporation's quarterly earnings exceeded analyst expectations, leading to a sharp increase in share price during after-hours trading.”
UsageCommonly used in financial reporting and stock market analysis.
Teacher's tipIn a business context, 'earnings' often refers specifically to 'earnings per share' (EPS) when discussed by investors.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
the money you make from your investments or savings.
the financial gains or returns generated by capital investments.
Simple“She reinvested her earnings from the stock market into a new business.”
In context“Long-term investors are generally more concerned with the stability of their earnings than with short-term market volatility.”
Usage earnings call
“On their first earnings call since SpaceX's June public offering, executives said the company is pouring funds into rocket development, Starlink satellites and AI.”
“Since 2011, pension increases have been guaranteed by the triple lock - which means the rise will either match the rate of inflation, average earnings or 2.5% - whichever is higher.”
From earning + -s.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.