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
Skenes allowed an unearned run in the fourth.
—
Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Six relievers combined to pitch seven innings of two-run ball, with the Tigers scoring an unearned run via their automatic baserunner in the 10th.
—Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2025
All but two of the six runs Brown surrendered were unearned.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Patterson allegedly used her mother's Milwaukee address to falsely claim residency and receive over $8,200 in unearned pay incentives.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unearned
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Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Six relievers combined to pitch seven innings of two-run ball, with the Tigers scoring an unearned run via their automatic baserunner in the 10th.
—Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2025
All but two of the six runs Brown surrendered were unearned.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Patterson allegedly used her mother's Milwaukee address to falsely claim residency and receive over $8,200 in unearned pay incentives.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unearned
Cite this Entry
“Unearned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unearned. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unearned
adjective
un·earned
ˌən-ˈərnd 
ˈən-
: not gained by labor, service, or skill
unearned income
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