income

noun

in·​come ˈin-ˌkəm 

also ˈin-kəm

or ˈiŋ-kəm

1

: a gain or recurrent benefit usually measured in money that derives from capital or labor

also : the amount of such gain received in a period of time

has an income of 80,000 a year

a two-income family

2

: a coming in : entrance, influx

fluctuations in the nutrient income of a body of water

Synonyms of income

• revenue
• profit

Examples of income in a Sentence

Any income from investments must be reported.

Farming is his main source of income.

Even on two incomes, we're having a hard time keeping up with our bills.

He earns a good income as a consultant.

What was the company's annual income?

Recent Examples on the Web

And holiday spending, in particular, tends to be insulated since families across incomes prioritize the season, even if that means sacrificing other kinds of spending or racking up the credit card bill. —Melissa Repko,gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2025

It should be noted that these figures refer to cash income. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025

The dataset included 38 key indicators of a compassionate spirit, ranging from the share of sheltered homeless people to volunteering hours per capita and the percentage of income donated to charity. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2025

That doesn’t bode well for the president’s tariff dividend check scheme, which promises $2,000 stimulus checks for middle- and lower-income American families paid for with proceeds from the duties. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing income

• discretionary income
• disposable income
• income account
• income bond
• income tax
• (income) tax return
• low-income housing
• national income
• negative income tax

Rhymes for income

• become
• checksum
• humdrum
• outcome
• succumb
• therefrom
• wherefrom
• abomasum
• bum
• chum
• come
• crum

Kids Definition

income

noun

in·​come ˈin-ˌkəm 

: a gain usually measured in money that comes in from labor, business, or property

Legal Definition

income

noun

in·​come

: a gain or recurrent benefit usually measured in money that derives from capital or labor

also : the amount of such gain received in a period of time

an income of $20,000 a year