- not deserved
- not yet earned
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•earned /ʌnˈɜrnd/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- not received in exchange for labor or services:taxing so-called unearned income.
- unmerited;
undeserved:unearned punishment.
un•earned
(un ûrnd′),USA pronunciation adj.
- not received in exchange for labor or services;
not gained by lawful work or employment. - not earned;
unmerited;
undeserved:unearned promotion. - not yet earned:Lenders are not permitted to take borrowers' unearned wages as collateral.
- 1150–1200; Middle English; see un-1, earn1, -ed2
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
unearned /ʌnˈɜːnd/ adj
'unearned' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
income
- independent
- leisured
- rentier
- unearned income
- wage
- earned income
- tin cup
- unearned increment
- unearned run
- unmeriting