unpaid

adjective

un·​paid ˌən-ˈpād How to pronounce unpaid (audio)
Synonyms of unpaidnext
1
: not paid
an unpaid volunteer
2
: not paying a salary
an unpaid position

Synonyms of unpaid

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Examples of unpaid in a Sentence

I have a pile of unpaid bills sitting on my desk. The city is trying to collect unpaid taxes. She took three months of unpaid leave from her job. I served as an unpaid consultant on the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pulling the plug over unpaid bills People who fall behind on their bills in Oklahoma face an unusually high risk of having their power shut off. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026 Two of the league’s digital media vendors, Mobii Systems Group Limited and Fresh Tape Media, have filed lawsuits against LIV for unpaid invoices, seeking more than $1 million each. — Brody Miller, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Scammers have used the threat of ‘unpaid tolls’ to lure travelers to click on unsafe links sent by text and email and share their banking information. — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026 The video compiled a series of clips taken by Project Veritas’s undercover reporters and several clips recorded by an employee named Alison Maass, who had gone undercover to get hired as an unpaid intern at Democracy Partners. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unpaid

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unpaid was in the 14th century

Rhymes for unpaid

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Browse Nearby Words

unpaged
unpaid
unpaid-letter stamp
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Cite this Entry

“Unpaid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpaid. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

unpaid

adjective
un·​paid ˌən-ˈpād How to pronounce unpaid (audio)
1
: not paid
an unpaid volunteer
2
: not paying a salary
an unpaid position
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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