earn Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
    bring in; clear; pull in; take in; gain; realise; realize; make.
    • How much do you make a month in your new job?
    • She earns a lot in her new job
    • this merger brought in lots of money
    • He clears $5,000 each month
  2. verb acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions
    garner.

WordNet

Earn noun
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) See Ern, n. Sir W. Scott.
Earn transitive verb
Etymology
AS. earnian; akin to OHG. arnn to reap, aran harvest, G. ernte, Goth. asans harvest, asneis hireling, AS. esne; cf. Icel. önn working season, work.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Earned ; present participle & verbal noun Earning
Definitions
  1. To merit or deserve, as by labor or service; to do that which entitles one to (a reward, whether the reward is received or not).
    The high repute Which he through hazard huge must earn. Milton.
  2. To acquire by labor, service, or performance; to deserve and receive as compensation or wages; as, to earn a good living; to earn honors or laurels.
    I earn that [what] I eat. Shak.
    The bread I have earned by the hazard of my life or the sweat of my brow. Burke.
    Syn. -- See Obtain.
Earn transitive verb & intransitive verb
Etymology
See 1st Yearn.
Definitions
  1. To grieve. Obs.
Earn intransitive verb
Etymology
See 4th Yearn.
Definitions
  1. To long; to yearn. Obs.
    And ever as he rode, his heart did earn To prove his puissance in battle brave. Spenser.
Earn intransitive verb
Etymology
AS. irnan to run. . See Rennet, and cf. Yearnings.
Definitions
  1. To curdle, as milk. Prov. Eng.

Webster 1913