1
: not paid
an unpaid volunteer
2
: not paying a salary
an unpaid position
Examples of unpaid in a Sentence
I have a pile of unpaid bills sitting on my desk.
The city is trying to collect unpaid taxes.
She took three months of unpaid leave from her job.
I served as an unpaid consultant on the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
Interest is also charged on unpaid balances, accruing daily at the federal short-term rate plus 3%.
—
Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
His relentless, unpaid work has resulted in the Indian government imposing the first-ever penalties for institutions whose researchers accumulate large numbers of retractions – which in turn affects how Indian universities are ranked and funded.
—New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which requires certain employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, covers less than half of all American employees.
—Kat McGowan, NPR, 30 Dec. 2025
Attached in the notice was a chart outlining seven months of allegedly unpaid rent totaling $84,000.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpaid
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Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
His relentless, unpaid work has resulted in the Indian government imposing the first-ever penalties for institutions whose researchers accumulate large numbers of retractions – which in turn affects how Indian universities are ranked and funded.
—New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which requires certain employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, covers less than half of all American employees.
—Kat McGowan, NPR, 30 Dec. 2025
Attached in the notice was a chart outlining seven months of allegedly unpaid rent totaling $84,000.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unpaid
Cite this Entry
“Unpaid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpaid. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unpaid
adjective
un·paid
ˌən-ˈpād 
1
: not paid
an unpaid volunteer
2
: not paying a salary
an unpaid position
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