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Gain vs. Earn: What's the Difference?

Gain and Earn Definitions

Gain

To come into possession or use of; acquire
Gained a small fortune in real estate.
Gained vital information about the enemy's plans.

Earn

To gain especially for the performance of service, labor, or work
Earned money by mowing lawns.

Gain

To attain in competition or struggle; win
Gained a decisive victory.
Gained control of the company.

Earn

To acquire or deserve as a result of effort or action
She earned a reputation as a hard worker.

Gain

To obtain through effort or merit; achieve
Gain recognition.
Gain a hearing for the proposal.
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Earn

To yield as return or profit
A savings account that earns interest on deposited funds.

Gain

To secure as profit or reward; earn
Gain a living.
Gain extra credits in school.

Earn

(transitive) To gain (success, reward, recognition) through applied effort or work.
You can have the s'mores: you earned them, clearing the walkway of snow so well.

Gain

To manage to achieve an increase of
A movement that gained strength.
Gained wisdom with age.

Earn

(transitive) To receive payment for work.
He earns seven million dollars a year as CEO.
My bank account is only earning one percent interest.
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Gain

To increase by (a specific amount)
Gained 15 pounds.
The market gained 30 points.

Earn

(intransitive) To receive payment for work.
Now that you are earning, you can start paying me rent.

Gain

To come to; reach
Gained the top of the mountain.

Earn

(transitive) To cause (someone) to receive payment or reward.
My CD earns me six percent!

Gain

To become fast by (a specified amount of time). Used of a timepiece
My watch gains four minutes a day.

Earn

(transitive) To achieve by being worthy of.
To earn a spot in the top 20

Gain

To increase; grow
Gained in experience and maturity.
A painting that gained in value.

Earn

To curdle (milk), especially in the cheesemaking process.

Gain

To become better; improve
Gaining in health.

Earn

Of milk: to curdle, espcially in the cheesemaking process.

Gain

To obtain a profit or advantage; benefit
Stood to gain politically by his opponent's blunder.

Earn

To strongly long or yearn (for something or to do something).

Gain

To move closer to a person or thing that is moving ahead; close a gap
The runners in the back gained steadily on the leader.

Earn

To grieve.

Gain

To put on weight
I began to gain when I went off my diet.

Earn

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 reputeWhich he through hazard huge must earn.

Gain

To operate or run fast. Used of a timepiece.

Earn

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.
The bread I have earned by the hazard of my life or the sweat of my brow.

Gain

To cut out a gain in.

Earn

To grieve.

Gain

To join by or fit into a gain.

Earn

To long; to yearn.
And ever as he rode, his heart did earnTo prove his puissance in battle brave.

Gain

Something gained or acquired
Territorial gains.

Earn

To curdle, as milk.

Gain

Progress; advancement
The country made economic gains under the new government.

Earn

Earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages;
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

Gain

The act of acquiring; attainment.

Earn

Acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions

Gain

An increase in amount or degree
A gain in operating income.

Gain

(Electronics) An increase in signal power, voltage, or current by an amplifier, expressed as the ratio of output to input. Also called amplification.

Gain

The reflectivity of a projection screen, usually expressed relative to the reflectivity of a standard surface of magnesium carbonate.

Gain

A notch or mortise cut into a board to receive another part.

Gain

(transitive) To acquire possession of.
Looks like you've gained a new friend.

Gain

(intransitive) To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to make progress.
The sick man gains daily.

Gain

To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to obtain by competition.
To gain a battle; to gain a case at law

Gain

(transitive) To increase.

Gain

(intransitive) To be more likely to catch or overtake an individual.
I'm gaining (on you).
Gain ground

Gain

(transitive) To reach.
To gain the top of a mountain

Gain

To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side; to conciliate.

Gain

(intransitive) To put on weight.
I've been gaining.

Gain

(of a clock or watch) To run fast.

Gain

The act of gaining; acquisition.

Gain

The thing or things gained.

Gain

(electronics) The factor by which a signal is multiplied.

Gain

(architecture) A square or bevelled notch cut out of a girder, binding joist, or other timber which supports a floor beam, so as to receive the end of the floor beam.

Gain

(obsolete) Against.

Gain

(obsolete) Straight, direct; near; short.
The gainest way

Gain

(obsolete) Suitable; convenient; ready.

Gain

(dialectal) Easy; tolerable; handy, dexterous.

Gain

(dialectal) Honest; respectable; moderate; cheap.

Gain

(obsolete) Straightly; quickly; by the nearest way or means.

Gain

(dialectal) Suitably; conveniently; dexterously; moderately.

Gain

(dialectal) Tolerably; fairly.
Gain quiet (= fairly/pretty quiet)

Gain

A square or beveled notch cut out of a girder, binding joist, or other timber which supports a floor beam, so as to receive the end of the floor beam.

Gain

That which is gained, obtained, or acquired, as increase, profit, advantage, or benefit; - opposed to loss.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Godliness with contentment is great gain.
Every one shall share in the gains.

Gain

The obtaining or amassing of profit or valuable possessions; acquisition; accumulation.

Gain

Convenient; suitable; direct; near; handy; dexterous; easy; profitable; cheap; respectable.

Gain

To get, as profit or advantage; to obtain or acquire by effort or labor; as, to gain a good living.
What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
To gain dominion, or to keep it gained.
For fame with toil we gain, but lose with ease.

Gain

To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to obtain by competition; as, to gain a battle; to gain a case at law; to gain a prize.

Gain

To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side; to conciliate.
If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
To gratify the queen, and gained the court.

Gain

To reach; to attain to; to arrive at; as, to gain the top of a mountain; to gain a good harbor.
Forded Usk and gained the wood.

Gain

To get, incur, or receive, as loss, harm, or damage.
Ye should . . . not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

Gain

To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to make progress; as, the sick man gains daily.
Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion.
The English have not only gained upon the Venetians in the Levant, but have their cloth in Venice itself.
My good behavior had so far gained on the emperor, that I began to conceive hopes of liberty.

Gain

A quantity that is added;
There was an addition to property taxes this year
They recorded the cattle's gain in weight over a period of weeks

Gain

The advantageous quality of being beneficial

Gain

The amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input

Gain

The amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its cost of operating

Gain

Obtain;
Derive pleasure from one's garden

Gain

Win something through one's efforts;
I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese
Gain an understanding of international finance

Gain

Derive a benefit from;
She profited from his vast experience

Gain

Reach a destination, either real or abstract;
We hit Detroit by noon
The water reached the doorstep
We barely made it to the finish line
I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts

Gain

Obtain advantages, such as points, etc.;
The home team was gaining ground
After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference

Gain

Rise in rate or price;
The stock market gained 24 points today

Gain

Increase in;
Gain momentum
Gain nerve

Gain

Earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages;
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

Gain

Increase (one's body weight);
She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising

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