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View synonyms for

earn

1

[ urn ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to gain or get in return for one's labor or service:

    to earn one's living.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  2. to merit as compensation, as for service; deserve:

    to receive more than one has earned.

  3. to acquire through merit:

    to earn a reputation for honesty.

  4. to gain as due return or profit:

    Savings accounts earn interest.

  5. to bring about or cause deservedly:

    His fair dealing earned our confidence.



verb (used without object)

  1. to gain income:

    securities that earn on a quarterly basis.

earn

2

[ urn ]

verb (used without object)

Obsolete.
  1. to grieve.

earn

/ ɜː /

verb

  1. to gain or be paid (money or other payment) in return for work or service
  2. tr to acquire, merit, or deserve through behaviour or action

    he has earned a name for duplicity

  3. tr (of securities, investments, etc) to gain (interest, return, profit, etc)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • 𲹰İ noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of earn1

First recorded before 900; Middle English ern(i)en Old English earnian; akin to Old High German ŧ “to earn, harvest”

Origin of earn2

First recorded in 1570–80; perhaps variant of yearn
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Word History and Origins

Origin of earn1

Old English earnian; related to Old High German ŧ to reap, Old Saxon asna salary, tithe
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Idioms and Phrases

  • penny saved is a penny earned
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Synonym Study

See gain 1.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But Mr Gardner added buying was likely to pick up as over summer due to earnings rising and the expectation of further cuts to interest rates.

From

The dynamic in the exhibition is redeemed by the live events within it and their play against the archive, which feel earned but also alienated from the original artworks.

From

By Milo Todd Counterpoint Press: 320 pages, $27 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.

From

It typified an anthemic style of song but their unpretentious and down-to-earth approach earned loyal followings on both sides of the Atlantic.

From

And they operate those live hackathons where top bug hunters compete and collaborate "hammering" systems, showing off their skills and potentially earning big money.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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earmuffearned income