Earning and Earnings Are Not Quite the Same Word
Earning is the act of getting something you deserve. Earnings, with an s, is money already made, and the plural has a life of its own.
Earning is the -ing form of *earn*: getting money by work, or getting anything by deserving it. Add an s and the word changes job entirely. *Earnings* is a plural noun for money received — company earnings, lifetime earnings — and it is one of the numbers markets watch most closely.
- The act of receiving pay for work. *Earning a living.*
- Gaining something by merit. *Earning respect takes time.*
- Earnings — money earned over a period. *Quarterly earnings rose.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | earn | She earns well. |
| Past | earned | He earned it. |
| -ing | earning | Earning a wage. |
| Plural noun | earnings | Annual earnings. |
| Adjective | earned | Earned income. |
How it is used in a sentence
- He is earning enough to cover the rent at last.The ordinary progressive use.
- Earning her trust took a year.Earn works for anything deserved, not only money.
- The company reports earnings on Thursday.In finance, earnings means profit.
Earn, win, gain and deserve
- Earn — receive through work or merit
- Win — receive through competition or luck
- Gain — simply acquire, with no claim about deserving
- Deserve — be entitled to, whether or not you receive it
- Earned income — money from work, as opposed to investment income
From Old English *earnian*, to deserve or labour for. The idea of deserving was there from the beginning, which is why *earning* still sounds like a moral claim in a way that *getting* does not.
Is *earnings* singular or plural?
Plural in form and usually in agreement: earnings were higher. Financial writing sometimes treats a single figure as singular, but the plural verb is safe.
Earn or win a medal?
Both are used. Win points to the contest, earn points to the effort behind it.