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.
Beyond seed money, growing Tempus from a startup to a $13 billion company has also required a lot of sweat equity from Lefkofsky. Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025 In lieu of dollars, offer time, creativity and sweat equity. Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025 What’s four months of sweat equity plus six weeks of spring training worth? Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 27 July 2025 But the couple soon realized the inspiration would require a lot more sweat equity and time than originally planned. Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 19 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Sweat equity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweat%20equity. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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