Winnings are the money or prizes someone receives after winning a game, contest, or competition. When a player walks away from the table with her winnings, she's taking home whatever money she earned during the game. A lottery winner might collect enormous winnings, while someone who wins a raffle might receive modest winnings like a gift certificate or a small cash prize.

The word specifically refers to what you gain through winning, not through working or being given a gift. If you put in a dollar on a coin flip and win, your winnings would be whatever you gained from that game. People who play games of chance talk about their winnings and losses to track whether they're coming out ahead.

You'll also hear the word in sports and contests. A chess tournament winner might take home prize money as their winnings. Even in informal competitions, like when friends compete to see who can solve a puzzle fastest, the winner might jokingly claim their winnings.

The word suggests that someone competed, took a risk, or participated in something with an uncertain outcome. You don't have winnings from your allowance or a birthday gift, only from situations where winning was possible but not guaranteed.