unearned

adjective

un·​earned ˌən-ˈərnd How to pronounce unearned (audio)
1
: not gained by labor, service, or skill
unearned income
2
: scored as a result of an error by the opposing team
an unearned run

Examples of unearned in a Sentence

Bank interest is regarded as unearned income.
Recent Examples on the Web The 34-year-old right-hander allowed two hits and struck out one while giving up an unearned run. Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 Coming after such sentimental plot trappings, the film’s final third-act surprise remains mostly unearned. Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 13 Jan. 2024 The trade kicker value is based on his unearned base compensation on the remainder of the contract (minus any option year) on the day of a trade. Jim Owczarski, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 After the error, cleanup hitter Shelton hit a solo homer to give Florida the unearned runs. Susan Miller Degnan, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 The Wolverines trailed 4-0 until the first unearned run was scored against McEntire in the eighth. Matt Jones, arkansasonline.com, 26 Feb. 2024 Privilege refers to unearned advantages individuals enjoy based on their social identity, such as race, gender, socioeconomic status or education. Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2023 But for Intel to complain about AMD's practices here feels particularly unearned and petty. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 6 Dec. 2023 For this reason, the grit in this novel sometimes feels unearned. Zoe Hu, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unearned.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unearned was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near unearned

Cite this Entry

“Unearned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unearned. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unearned

adjective
un·​earned ˌən-ˈərnd How to pronounce unearned (audio)
ˈən-
: not gained by labor, service, or skill
unearned income
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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