adjective
-
not deserved
-
not yet earned
Etymology
Origin of unearned
Middle English word dating back to 1150–1200; un- 1, earn 1, -ed 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Kiddie Tax can apply to unearned income for certain children under 24, making it partly taxed at the parents’ rate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
But there is no law for those wearing unearned medals - or those who simply lie about their background without dressing up in uniform.
From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026
Initially, it was planned for Season 4, and we just felt it was unearned by the end of it.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025
That means any earnings from a Trump account will be included in the child’s total unearned income and taxed for the year if withdrawn before he or she turns age 59 ½.
From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025
Most of them uncouth, although very few were unearned.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
