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
Lambert allowed 1 unearned run on 6 hits and struck out 6 Eagles.
—
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 May 2026
The Mustangs stole six bases and Kenji Shirley allowed just one hit in 5 1/3 innings with one unearned run allowed and five strikeouts.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
Throwing errors by third baseman Kazuma Okamoto and shortstop Andrés Giménez contributed to a pair of unearned runs in a three-run eighth.
—CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Chase DeLauter had two hits and drove in a pair of runs, Gavin Williams allowed one unearned run and struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Wednesday to stop a four-game losing streak.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unearned
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Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 May 2026
The Mustangs stole six bases and Kenji Shirley allowed just one hit in 5 1/3 innings with one unearned run allowed and five strikeouts.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
Throwing errors by third baseman Kazuma Okamoto and shortstop Andrés Giménez contributed to a pair of unearned runs in a three-run eighth.
—CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Chase DeLauter had two hits and drove in a pair of runs, Gavin Williams allowed one unearned run and struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Wednesday to stop a four-game losing streak.
—ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unearned
Cite this Entry
“Unearned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unearned. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unearned
adjective
un·earned
ˌən-ˈərnd 
ˈən-
: not gained by labor, service, or skill
unearned income
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