Income

Contested concept

The term "contested concept" refers to the idea that a particular concept (in this case "income") doesn't have an agreed, fixed, definition.

On the contrary, different individuals and groups may define the concept in different ways, depending on such factors as how they want to use the concept, whether they are aiming for an objective or subjective definition and so forth.

In this respect, although income is a contested concept (there are disagreements about what to include / exclude as part of the definition), you will find higher level of general agreement about the concept than is the case with concepts like wealth and poverty...