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

Hale’s mother also reportedly told police that because Hale was over 25 and enrolled as a student, parental income no longer factored into financial aid eligibility, allowing Hale to qualify for grant funding despite being unemployed. —Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025

As lower-income households feel the pinch of tariffs, wealthier households continue to drive consumer spending. —Brian Blank, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025

North Carolina has a flat income tax rate, meaning the same rate applies to all state residents regardless of their incomes. —Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025

Thanks to all of those efforts, Darden is seeing high-income consumers trade down into its casual-dining chains and a traffic bump from diners who are at least 55 years old, CEO Rick Cardenas said on the company's conference call on Thursday. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 28 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