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

See Examples For:

unpaid

"It's really difficult to find any kind of work to do, paid or unpaid, but I do see where the companies are coming from, especially smaller businesses."

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Chen said Bo, Panshi and another associate had loaned more than $2 million to the developers of an apartment complex, prompting lawsuits over unpaid debts and control of the property.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

Waymo has paid $7,433 across 83 citations, while $1,892 remained unpaid as of July 15.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

In May 2024, a judge ruled that Cher was owed more than $418,000 in unpaid royalties, according to People magazine—however, that did not bring an end to the legal dispute.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

He had had an unpaid internship at a small architecture firm in Cambridge, where he’d run errands at Charrette for the designers, been sent to photograph nearby sites, lettered a few drawings.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• delinquent
• outstanding
• overdue