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
This unearned sense of grievance is what animated the backlash to Bad Bunny’s performance and inspired Turning Point’s alternative show.
—
David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
There would be no more unearned wild-card guarantees, and the 2025 season concluded with a team captain, Henrik Stenson, being relegated.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
At year end, the company’s commercial remaining performance obligation, a measurement of unearned revenue and amounts that will be recognized as revenue later, stood at $625 billion, up some 110%.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
Second, critics point out that the markers identified with merit often are unearned.
—Kenji Yoshino, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unearned
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
There would be no more unearned wild-card guarantees, and the 2025 season concluded with a team captain, Henrik Stenson, being relegated.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
At year end, the company’s commercial remaining performance obligation, a measurement of unearned revenue and amounts that will be recognized as revenue later, stood at $625 billion, up some 110%.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026
Second, critics point out that the markers identified with merit often are unearned.
—Kenji Yoshino, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 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 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unearned
adjective
un·earned
ˌən-ˈərnd 
ˈən-
: not gained by labor, service, or skill
unearned income
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
