gain
n. C / Un. an increase in something, like money, weight, or advantage. It can also mean the profit or benefit you get from something.
n. an increase in wealth, size, or amount; a profit or advantage obtained from an activity.
The company reports a small financial gain.
After months of training, his gain in muscle mass was clearly visible to everyone.
The short-term political gain from the new policy was quickly offset by the long-term economic damage it inflicted on international trade relations.
From Middle English gayn, gain, gein (“profit, advantage”), from Old Norse gagn (“benefit, advantage, use”), from Proto-Germanic gagną, gaganą (“gain, profit", literally "return”), from Proto-Germanic gagana (“back, against, in return”), a reduplication of Proto-Germanic ga- (“with, together”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“next to, at, with, along”). Cognate with Icelandic gagn (“gain, advantage, use”), Swedish gagn (“benefit, profit”), Danish gavn (“gain, profit, success”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gageigan, “to gain, profit”), Old Norse gegn (“ready”), dialectal Swedish gen (“useful, noteful”), Latin cum (“with”); see gain-, again, against. Compare also Middle English gaynen, geinen (“to be of use, profit, avail”), Icelandic and Swedish gagna (“to avail, help”), Danish gavne (“to benefit”). The Middle English word was reinforced by Middle French gain (“gain, profit, advancement, cultivation”), from Old French gaaing, gaaigne, gaigne, a noun derivative of gaaignier, gaigner (“to till, earn, win”), from Frankish waiþanōn (“to pasture, graze, hunt for food”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic waiþiz, waiþō, waiþijō (“pasture, field, hunting ground”); compare Old High German weidōn, weidanōn (“to hunt, forage for food”) (Modern German Weide (“pasture”)), Old Norse veiða (“to catch, hunt”), Old English wǣþan (“to hunt, chase, pursue”). Related to wide.
From dialectal English gen, gin, short for again, agen (“against”); also Middle English gain, gayn, gein, ȝæn (“against”), from Old English gēan, geġn (“against”). More at against.
From Middle English gayn, gein, geyn (“straight, direct, short, fit, good”), from Old Norse gegn (“straight, direct, short, ready, serviceable, kindly”), from gegn (“opposite, against”, adverb) (whence gagna (“to go against, meet, suit, be meet”)); see above. Adverb from Middle English gayn, gayne (“fitly, quickly”), from the adjective.
Compare Welsh gan (“a mortise”).
Commonly followed by 'in' to specify the area of increase (e.g., 'a gain in confidence') or 'from' to indicate the source of the profit.