income

income — noun

1. The regular flow of money someone receives from working, from investments or pro

1.nounA2
Definition

The regular flow of money someone receives from working, from investments or property they own, or from government support such as a pension.

Example

After Naoko got her first job, she earned a monthly income for the first time.

Samir's investment income from rental properties allowed him to retire at fifty-five.

collocation: investment income

Common collocations
  • earn an income
  • receive an income
  • generate income
  • provide an income
  • supplement one's income
  • high income
  • low income
  • fixed income
  • steady income
  • monthly income
  • annual income
  • household income
  • income from investments
  • income from employment
  • source of income
Synonyms
  • earnings

    more specific to money gained from work or investments over time, often used in official contexts

  • salary

    limited to a fixed regular payment from an employer, usually expressed as an annual figure

  • wages

    hourly or daily pay, typically for manual or part-time work

  • revenue

    used mostly for organizations or governments, not individuals

Antonyms

Usage Note

Frequently uncountable when the focus is on a general flow of money; countable when specifying a particular amount or source ('They now have two incomes from different jobs').

Common Mistakes

I earn a big income from my job.
I earn a high income from my job.
'Big' is not the natural collocate with 'income'; use 'high' or 'large.'
My income is only my salary.
My income includes my salary, investment returns, and some freelance payments.
Income is broader than salary; it covers all money received, not just pay from a job.

2. The money that a business earns from its activities during a specific period, es

2.nounB2
Definition

The money that a business earns from its activities during a specific period, especially the amount that remains after costs have been deducted.

Example

The company reported a net income of five million dollars this quarter.

collocation: net income

Élise's job was to prepare the income statement before the board meeting.

Common collocations
  • net income
  • gross income
  • operating income
  • taxable income
  • income statement
  • income tax
  • report income
  • generate income
  • income before tax
  • income after tax
Synonyms
  • profit

    emphasizes what remains after all expenses are subtracted; slightly narrower than 'income'

  • revenue

    total money coming in before any costs are deducted; broader than 'income'

  • earnings

    common in financial reporting ('earnings per share'); interchangeable with 'income' in many business contexts

Antonyms
  • loss

    when expenses exceed income

Usage Note

In business contexts, 'income' is often paired with a modifier such as 'net,' 'gross,' or 'operating' to specify what is included. Distinguish from 'revenue,' which refers to total money coming in before any costs are subtracted.

Common Mistakes

The company's income was five million dollars before paying any costs.
The company's revenue was five million dollars before costs; its net income was lower.
For pre-cost figures, use 'revenue'; 'income' usually means earnings after relevant deductions.

Word family

  • earnings
    nounB2
  • low-income
    adjectiveB1
  • high-income
    adjectiveB1
  • incomer
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words relate to money received, but they differ in scope. 'Salary' is a fixed amount paid regularly by an employer, usually expressed as an annual figure (e.g., a salary of 60,000 per year). 'Wages' are paid by the hour or day and are common for manual or part-time roles. 'Earnings' is a broader term covering all money gained from work, investments, or business activities — it appears on tax forms and financial reports. 'Revenue' refers to total money coming in, typically for a company or government, before any costs are subtracted. For an individual, a sentence like 'Her earnings include her salary plus freelance income' makes the contrast clear: earnings is the umbrella, salary is one type, and revenue would be inappropriate for a person.

earnings ↗salary ↗wagesrevenue ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • source of income
  • stream of income
  • income before tax
  • low-income
  • high-income
  • fixed-income

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'income' comes from Middle English, formed from the prefix 'in-' and the verb 'come,' meaning literally 'a coming in.' It originally referred to a person arriving or a stranger entering a place. By the 16th century, the meaning shifted to 'something that comes in,' specifically money or other benefits received regularly. This sense of recurrent financial gain has remained the core meaning ever since.