income
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the money you receive regularly from your job, business, or investments.
the total amount of money received by a person or household, typically from employment, business profits, or investment returns.
Simple“Most of his monthly income goes toward paying his rent and bills.”
In context“The government is considering new tax breaks for households whose total annual income falls below the national median.”
UsageOften used with adjectives like 'annual', 'monthly', 'gross', or 'net'.
PitfallThe company has a high income this year. The company has a high revenue this year.Use 'income' for individuals or for a company's profit after costs; use 'revenue' for the total money a business brings in before expenses.
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
money that flows into a specific account, fund, or organization.
the inflow of capital into a specific fund, account, or institutional entity, often distinguished from the principal amount.
Simple“The charity relies on the income from its many small donations.”
In context“The portfolio was designed to maximize steady income through dividends rather than focusing on long-term capital growth.”
UsageCommonly used in the context of 'investment income' or 'trust income'.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
the food or nutrients that a person or animal takes into their body.
the intake of nutritive material or food into a biological system.
Simple“The doctor monitored the patient's daily nutritional income to ensure they were recovering.”
In context“The study measured the total caloric income of the subjects over a period of six months to determine metabolic changes.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is very rare in modern English; learners will almost always encounter 'intake' instead.
Usage income tax · low income
“His four children – Mahmoud, 30, Reham, 27, Issa, 24, and Omar, 20 – also worked with him and relied on farming as a source of income for the family.”
“The trees were also an important source of income for the people of the village.”
From Middle English income, perhaps continuing (in altered form) Old English incyme (“an in-coming, entrance”), equivalent to in- + come. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Íenkúumen (“income”), West Frisian ynkommen (“income”), Dutch inkomen, inkomst (“income, earnings, gainings”), German Low German Inkumst (“income”), German Einkommen, Einkunft (“income, earnings, competence”), Danish indkomst (“income”), Swedish inkomst (“income”), Icelandic innkváma (“income”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.