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
Over the past two months, only one team has allowed more unearned runs than New York’s 28.
—
Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Walsh and Sherman both recognized Lupino’s superior intellect and resistance to unearned sentimentality.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2025
An error led to four unearned runs being charged to Stewart, who faced six batters in his inning Thursday.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Lincecum was great on this evening, allowing one unearned run over seven innings with five strikeouts.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unearned
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Tim Britton, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Walsh and Sherman both recognized Lupino’s superior intellect and resistance to unearned sentimentality.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2025
An error led to four unearned runs being charged to Stewart, who faced six batters in his inning Thursday.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025
Lincecum was great on this evening, allowing one unearned run over seven innings with five strikeouts.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unearned
adjective
un·earned
ˌən-ˈərnd 
ˈən-
: not gained by labor, service, or skill
unearned income
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