Overearn

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To gain income or profit in excess of what is normal, fair, or anticipated
2. To make more money than is reasonable or than one should legitimately receive
3. To acquire earnings that surpass what one ought to make or what was typically earned

Etymology: "Overearn" is a plain compound: the prefix "over-", meaning "beyond what is right or needed," attached to "earn." The prefix goes back to Old English "ofer," and it has been used this way for centuries to form verbs like "overpay" and "overdo." Nothing about the formation is unusual or disputed. The more interesting history is in "earn" itself. The Old English verb "earnian" meant to deserve or merit something, and the sense of being paid for work developed later. So "overearn" carries the idea of getting more than one deserves or needs, which is closer to the older sense of earning than to the modern wage sense alone.