earnings

/ˈɜːnɪŋz/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈɚnɪŋz] /ˈɜːrnɪŋz/ (ame, ipa)

earnings — noun

1. the money that a person receives regularly for the work they do, whether as a fi

1.名詞B2
釋義

the money that a person receives regularly for the work they do, whether as a fixed salary, hourly wages, or fees from freelance or part-time jobs.

例句

Eitan's earnings as a freelance web designer barely covered his rent in Tel Aviv.

earnings as + profession/role

Nila used her earnings from the summer internship to pay for her tuition fees.

earnings from + source of work

同義詞
  • income

    broader term: includes all money received, not just from work

  • salary

    specifically a fixed regular payment, usually monthly, for professional work

  • wages

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

  • pay

    most general and informal term for money received for work done

反義詞
  • expenses

    money spent rather than received

  • outgoings

    regular amounts of money that have to be paid out

文法句型

earnings + plural verb

earnings + of + person

用法筆記

Always used in the plural form — say 'earnings are' not 'earnings is'. Distinguish from sense 2 (INVESTMENT RETURNS): sense 1 refers only to money received in exchange for work, while sense 2 covers passive returns on capital.

常見錯誤

❌My earning is not enough to live on.
✅My earnings are not enough to live on.
💡'earnings' is always plural in form.
❌She received her earning on Friday.
✅She received her earnings on Friday.
💡there is no singular form 'earning' for this meaning.
❌The worker's earnings has increased.
✅The worker's earnings have increased.
💡'earnings' takes a plural verb.

2. money that a person or organisation receives as a return on money they have inve

2.名詞B2
釋義

money that a person or organisation receives as a return on money they have invested, such as stock dividends, bond interest, rental income, or capital gains.

例句

Heloísa reinvested her earnings from the bond fund to grow her retirement savings further.

earnings from + investment type

The market downturn reduced Yuna's investment earnings by nearly a fifth.

investment earnings

同義詞
  • returns

    more general term for profit on an investment

  • yield

    the percentage earned on an investment, used in financial contexts

  • dividends

    specifically the share of profits paid to shareholders

反義詞
  • losses

    when the value of an investment decreases

文法句型

earnings + plural verb

earnings + on + investment

用法筆記

Often modified by a specifying noun such as 'investment', 'stock', 'bond', or 'dividend'. Unlike sense 1 (PERSONAL INCOME), this refers to passive returns on capital rather than active work. Unlike sense 3 (COMPANY PROFITS), this can apply to an individual's personal portfolio or returns on any asset.

常見錯誤

❌The earning on my stocks fell.
✅The earnings on my stocks fell.
💡never drop the final -s.
❌I declared my investment earning on my tax form.
✅I declared my investment earnings on my tax form.
💡always plural.

3. the profit that a company makes during a particular period after all costs, expe

3.名詞B2
釋義

the profit that a company makes during a particular period after all costs, expenses, and taxes have been deducted, usually reported quarterly or annually.

例句

The tech company announced that its quarterly earnings beat analysts' predictions by a wide margin.

quarterly earnings + beat predictions

Mark scanned the earnings report for signs that the business was finally growing again.

earnings report

同義詞
  • profit

    more general and used across varieties of English

  • net income

    formal accounting term for profit after all deductions

  • revenue

    the total income before costs are subtracted — not the same as earnings

反義詞
  • losses

    when a company spends more than it earns

  • deficit

    the shortfall when expenses exceed income

文法句型

earnings + plural verb

earnings + of + company

earnings + plural verb + figure

用法筆記

Most common in US financial reporting; British English often uses 'profit' or 'profits' instead. Frequently appears in compounds: 'earnings report', 'earnings season', 'earnings call'. Distinguish from sense 2 (INVESTMENT RETURNS): sense 3 refers to the organisation's overall profit, not an individual's portfolio returns.

常見錯誤

❌The company earning was better than last year.
✅The company's earnings were better than last year.
💡always 'earnings' (plural) and usually possessive.
❌The earning report comes out next week.
✅The earnings report comes out next week.
💡'earnings' functions as an attributive noun, keeping the -s.
❌Apple earning missed targets.
✅Apple's earnings missed targets.
💡possessive form plus plural verb.