1
[ adjective ] gained or acquired; especially through merit or as a result of effort or action

Examples

"a well-earned reputation for honesty" "earned income" "an earned run in baseball"

Used in print

(The Dallas Morning News,...)

Dr._Clark holds an earned Doctor_of_Education degree from the University_of_Oklahoma .

(Jack Kaplan, "The Health Machine Menace: Therapy by...)

`` That 's a lot of hard earned money to lose '' , he says today .

Related terms

unearned attained

2
[ adjective ] merited through behavior

Examples

"a well-earned rest"

Related terms

merited

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