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

Burnham is the country’s seventh prime minister in a decade, as one political leader after another proves no match for a stubbornly weak economy, which has weighed on incomes and living standards, wearing down the electorate. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

And those newcomers were also the highest earners in the country, boasting an average annual income of $122,530, according to Miami Association of Realtors chief economist Gay Cororaton. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 19 July 2026

Across the nation, just one in four very low-income households receives a housing subsidy, but the majority of housing voucher waitlists are closed. — Jake Day, Baltimore Sun, 19 July 2026

Forty-nine percent of households that rent spent more than 30% of their income on housing, a June report by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies found. — Justin Papp, CNBC, 19 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing income

• adjusted gross 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
• pisum
• succumb
• therefrom
• wherefrom
• abomasum
• bum
• chum
• come

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