unpaid

British  

/ ʌnˈpeɪd /

adjective

1. (of a bill, debt, etc) not yet paid

2. working without pay

3. having wages outstanding

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Explanation

If a job is unpaid, that means you do it without receiving any money in return. Your unpaid internship at the town newspaper will give you lots of experience, but no income. An unpaid worker hasn't received their paycheck yet, and an unpaid bill means you haven't sent the money you owe to the electric company or dog walker. This adjective is also useful for describing volunteer work, like an unpaid position at the local animal shelter. Unpaid was first coined in the 14th century, from un-, "not," and pay, which has a Latin root meaning "satisfy a creditor," or literally "make peace."

Example Sentences

The £1.9m and unpaid rent were returned following the Commission's intervention.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

The company also plans to pay professional fees of more than $245 million in full, while as much as $223 million in administrative expenses would remain unpaid as of the bankruptcy plan’s effective date.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

The plan improperly favors a limited group of professionals and lenders who received the benefits of unpaid administrative creditors’ work, the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

The survey also found 68% said they were chasing late payments, with 23% juggling four or more unpaid invoices at a time, with the average amount written off by tradespeople £1,646.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

Now I have nine hours instead of eight, and although one of them is an unpaid dinner hour, I have a net half an hour a day more on my feet.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Related Words

• delinquent
• outstanding
• overdue