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.
Lower taxes: Tax on another man’s sweat equity is a form of debt slavery. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 6 May 2026 Sanchez recommends a few important ideas for buying a business with or without money: sweat equity and earned equity: Sweat equity is simply using your skills to create good outcomes for a business and asking for a portion of equity in the business in return. Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 2 May 2026 White leaned on experiences from his playing days to build a bridge with DiVincenzo and McDaniels, forming trust through constant communication and sweat equity. Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026 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 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 18 May. 2026.

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