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

The team forecasted total expenses — all expenses recorded between sales and operating income on an income statement — to be about $12 billion to $19 billion above analyst expectations. —CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026

The result can be overlooking income that must be reported – like a part-time job or side gig, interest from a bank account or sales of stock. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

That money is reserved for kids who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who won't get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury. —Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026

Its dual mission is to bridge the early-stage funding gap and guarantee global access, ensuring products aren’t confined to wealthy markets for decades but are introduced in low- and middle-income countries in parallel. —Ana Castelain, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026

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