ENGLISH
REFERENCE

unpaid

adj.
B1 Intermediate US //ənˈpeɪd// UK //ʌnpˈeɪd// un·paid

adj. done without receiving any money or salary. You use this to describe work, like volunteering, or bills that you have not yet settled.

adj. performed without payment or remuneration; also describes debts or obligations that remain outstanding. Often follows a linking verb or precedes a noun phrase.


SIMPLE

She does a lot of unpaid work for a local charity.

CONTEXTUAL

The intern gained valuable experience during her unpaid summer placement at the law firm.

COMPLEX

While the government praised the rise in civic engagement, critics argued that the economy relied too heavily on the unpaid labor of caregivers and community volunteers.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From un- + paid.

Usage

Typically precedes the noun it modifies or follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'remain'.

Pitfall

an unpaying internshipan unpaid internshipLearners sometimes use the present participle 'unpaying', but 'unpaid' is the standard form to describe work for which no salary is given.

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