earned

/ɜːnd/ (UK), /ɝːnd/ (US)

verb

  1. Past tense and past participle of earn: received money or payment for work or a service.

    A2

    transitive

    • "She earned $20 an hour."A2
    • "He earned a good salary as an engineer."B1
    • "The company earned most of its revenue from international sales."B2

  2. Past tense and past participle of earn: gained something through effort, achievement, or good behavior.

    B1

    transitive

    • "She earned a place on the team."B1
    • "His hard work earned him the respect of his colleagues."B2
    • "The discovery earned the scientist international recognition."C1

adjective

  1. Deserved because of someone's actions, effort, or achievements.

    B2

    usually before a noun or after a linking verb

    • "They took an earned break after the long walk."B1
    • "She has an earned reputation for being reliable."B1
    • "She received an earned promotion after years of excellent work."B2

  2. Received in return for work or services.

    A2
    • "Earned income is subject to tax."B1

Common mistakes

  • He earned the race.→He won the race.

    Use win for competitions; use earn for money, rewards, respect, or opportunities gained through effort.

  • earnd→earned

    Remember to double the 'n' in 'earned'.

Collocations

earned incomeearned respectearned a reputationearned a livingearned a degreewell-earned break

Word family

earnearnerearningearningsunearned