sweat equity

noun

: equity in a property resulting from labor invested in improvements that increase its value
also : the labor so invested

Examples of sweat equity in a Sentence

He's built up a lot of sweat equity in his house. He put countless hours of sweat equity into that old house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
By that point, the project was moving along but still fragile, dependent on the sweat equity of O’Connor than any real resources. Jimmy Jellinek, SPIN, 7 Apr. 2026 The same task can be accomplished with a pruning saw and sweat equity. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026 So, in late 2006, Bourgeois launched JP Bourgeois Selections on his own, financed with a small loan and plenty of sweat equity. Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026 As required, prospective homeowners spent hundreds of hours helping Habitat build other properties through a process called sweat equity. Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sweat equity

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sweat equity was in 1950

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sweat equity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweat%20equity. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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