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
Hunter Biden, the poster boy for unearned privilege, just publicly bit the hand that fed him, and in doing so underscored so much of what was wrong in Joe Biden’s administration.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
Perhaps speaking in the harsh style of the prophets gave him an unearned moral certitude.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
In October, Young’s lawyers filed a legal dispute in London alleging that producer Carter Young claimed unearned songwriting credits on four unspecified songs of hers.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2025
The first $1,350 of unearned income is tax-free.
—Natalie Wu, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unearned
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Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
Perhaps speaking in the harsh style of the prophets gave him an unearned moral certitude.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
In October, Young’s lawyers filed a legal dispute in London alleging that producer Carter Young claimed unearned songwriting credits on four unspecified songs of hers.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2025
The first $1,350 of unearned income is tax-free.
—Natalie Wu, CNBC, 17 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unearned
adjective
un·earned
ˌən-ˈərnd 
ˈən-
: not gained by labor, service, or skill
unearned income
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