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

Passive income, which must come from outside Greece, must be of at least €3,500 ($4,048) per month, increased by 20 percent for a spouse and 15 percent per child. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025

Officials turned over Social Security numbers, names, addresses, income and expense data, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare spokesperson AJ McWhorter. —Idaho Statesman, 1 Dec. 2025

The gig is providing extra income for Novinska, who's typically a towboat captain pushing barges full of goods on the river. —Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Dec. 2025

The economy relies overwhelmingly on cashew exports, which provide income for most households. —Tomi Oladipo, semafor.com, 1 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