earn

1 of 2

verb (1)

earned; earning; earns

transitive verb

1
a
: to receive as return for effort and especially for work done or services rendered
b
: to bring in by way of return
bonds earning 10 percent interest
2
a
: to come to be duly worthy of or entitled or suited to
she earned a promotion
b
: to make worthy of or obtain for
the suggestion earned him a promotion
earner noun

earn

2 of 2

verb (2)

earned; earning; earns

Examples of earn in a Sentence

Verb (1) during my teen years I earned pocket money by mowing lawns you've earned the afternoon off after all that hard work
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Fastenal earned 46 cents per share on revenue of $1.82 billion, while analysts polled by FactSet were expecting 48 cents per share on $1.84 billion in revenue. Pia Singh, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025 After a series of headline-making performances — including at Coachella and Gov Ball 2024 — the 14-track project earned a new peak of No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2025 Uecker was best known as a colorful comedian and broadcaster whose sense of humor and self-deprecating style earned him fame and affection beyond his .200 batting average. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025 The largest contract in the history of soccer was Lionel Messi’s four-year deal with Barcelona worth as much as $673 million with incentives and bonuses—Messi did not earn the full amount. Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 17 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for earn 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English ernen, from Old English earnian; akin to Old High German arnōn to reap, Czech jeseň autumn

Verb (2)

probably alteration of yearn

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of earn was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near earn

Cite this Entry

“Earn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earn. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

earn

verb
ˈərn
1
: to get for services given
earn a good salary
2
: to deserve as a result of labor or service
earned good grades
earner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on earn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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