Underearning

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Receiving an income or profit that is below the desired or expected level
2. Generating monetary returns that fall short of what is anticipated or required
3. Producing revenue or wages that do not meet the necessary or planned amount

Etymology: "Underearning" is formed from the verb "underearn," which is simply "under" plus "earn," following the same pattern as older words such as "underpay" and "underfund." The prefix "under-" in English has long meant "below what is needed or expected," and attaching it to "earn" produces a sense of earning less than is required or planned. The word belongs to the group of formations where "under-" is freely added to a verb to describe an insufficient amount of the action, and it is recorded in modern dictionaries as a noun for the state or amount of such shortfall. Because the word is a transparent compound built from English parts, it has no foreign root to trace and no famous coiner behind it. Its meaning follows directly from the parts: the prefix supplies the sense of inadequacy, and "earn" supplies the idea of receiving payment for work or effort.

Synonyms: underincome, underpaying

Antonyms: overearning, overpaying