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
Fried tossed seven innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out seven to record his 10th win of the season.
—
James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
Reliever Grant Taylor, who has a blazing fastball, allowed one unearned run in two innings.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
After giving up the unearned runs in the first, Kikuchi didn’t give up anything else through seven innings, striking out 12.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 25 June 2025
When Spike and Erik meet on the mainland, Boyle and Garland exploit the opportunity for low-hanging humor that feels unearned and throws the tone of the film completely out of whack.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unearned
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James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
Reliever Grant Taylor, who has a blazing fastball, allowed one unearned run in two innings.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
After giving up the unearned runs in the first, Kikuchi didn’t give up anything else through seven innings, striking out 12.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 25 June 2025
When Spike and Erik meet on the mainland, Boyle and Garland exploit the opportunity for low-hanging humor that feels unearned and throws the tone of the film completely out of whack.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 20 June 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 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unearned
adjective
un·earned
ˌən-ˈərnd 
ˈən-
: not gained by labor, service, or skill
unearned income
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