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Definition of "earn" []

  • To gain especially for the performance of service, labor, or work: earned money by mowing lawns. (verb-transitive)
  • To acquire or deserve as a result of effort or action: She earned a reputation as a hard worker. (verb-transitive)
  • To yield as return or profit: a savings account that earns interest on deposited funds. (verb-transitive)
  • Spurs To gain a position through hard work and the accumulation of experience, often in the face of difficulties. (idiom)
  • Obsolete To yearn. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "earn" in a sentence
  • "After about a half-mile or so, the grade steepens considerably and the meaning of the phrase "earn one's turns" becomes clear."
  • "I found out it will take me 803 years to earn what Mark Teixeira will earn in one year (actually playing about 8 of those months) and I am using the term earn loosely (Does any anyone really earn that kind of money for playing a game?)"
  • "I don't think foxsports should abuse the word "earn" like this."