EARN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does earn mean? 

• EARN (verb)
  The verb EARN has 2 senses:

1. earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages

2. acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions

  Familiarity information: EARN used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EARN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they earn    ... he / she / it earns   
Past simple: earned   
Past participle: earned   
-ing form: earning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bring in; clear; earn; gain; make; pull in; realise; realize; take in

Context example:

He clears $5,000 each month

Hypernyms (to "earn" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Verb group:

make (act in a certain way so as to acquire)

clear; net; sack; sack up (make as a net profit)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "earn"):

eke out; squeeze out (make by laborious and precarious means)

profit; turn a profit (make a profit; gain money or materially)

rake off (take money from an illegal transaction)

bring home; take home (earn as a salary or wage)

rake in; shovel in (earn large sums of money)

gross (earn before taxes, expenses, etc.)

bear; pay; yield (bring in)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They earn the money

Derivation:

earner (someone who earn wages in return for their labor)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

earn; garner; win

Context example:

its beauty won Paris the name 'City of Lights'

Hypernyms (to "earn" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "earn"):

letter (win an athletic letter)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

earnings (something that remunerates)

 Context examples 

Remarkably, Jupiter is the natural ruler of your second house of earned income, so the new title will come with generous compensation.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Then again for the money I have earned and am earning.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He earns his living partly as interpreter in the law courts and partly by acting as guide to any wealthy Orientals who may visit the Northumberland Avenue hotels.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I paced up and down the room, humming a tune under my breath to keep up my spirits and feeling that I was thoroughly earning my fifty-guinea fee.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I mean that I have earned the reward.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

An advanced law degree generally earned in a course of specialized study in law.

(Master of Law, NCI Thesaurus)

The principal activity that a person does to earn money.

(Occupation, NCI Thesaurus)

An association of two or more peoplecarrying on a business with the goal of earning a profit.

(General Partnership, NCI Thesaurus)

The Doctor's Degree is the highest award a student can earn for graduate study.

(Doctorate Degree, NCI Thesaurus)

This majestic spiral galaxy might earn the nickname the "Godzilla galaxy" because it may be the largest known in the local universe.

(Hubble Surveys Gigantic Galaxy, NASA)