Unearned describes money that comes to you without you working for it. 'Unearned income' is the standard phrase, and it is a real technical term in tax and finance: money from rent, from interest on savings, from share dividends, from a trust. Your salary is earned income; the interest your bank pays you is unearned income. Governments care about the difference because the two are often taxed differently.

Unearned describes money unearned形容的是一筆錢 that comes to you without you working for it是你不用工作就得到的 'Unearned income' is the standard phrase 'Unearned income'是標準說法 and it is a real technical term in tax and finance也是稅務和財務上一個真正的專有名詞 money from rent, from interest on savings, from share dividends, from a trust指的是像租金、存款利息、股票股利、信託收入這類錢 Your salary is earned income你的薪水是earned income（勞務所得） the interest your bank pays you is unearned income銀行付給你的利息則是unearned income（非勞務所得） Governments care about the difference政府在意這個差別 because the two are often taxed differently因為這兩者的課稅方式常常不一樣

Note that in this financial sense, 'unearned' is not an accusation. Nobody is saying the landlord cheated. It is a category, like 'part-time' — it only tells you where the money came from, not whether the person deserved it. That surprises students, because the everyday feeling of the word is quite different.

Note that in this financial sense要注意在這個財務的意思上 'unearned' is not an accusation'unearned'並不是一種指控 Nobody is saying the landlord cheated沒有人在說房東騙人 It is a category, like 'part-time'這只是一個分類就像'part-time'一樣 it only tells you where the money came from它只告訴你這筆錢從哪裡來 not whether the person deserved it而不是這個人該不該得到它 That surprises students這點常讓學生意外 because the everyday feeling of the word is quite different因為這個字平常給人的感覺完全不同

Outside finance, 'unearned' does carry a sting: 'an unearned reputation', 'unearned praise', 'an unearned advantage' all mean you got something you did not deserve, and the speaker is not happy about it. So the same word is neutral in a tax office and sharp in an argument. Read the noun beside it to know which one you have.

Outside finance, 'unearned' does carry a sting在財務領域之外'unearned'確實帶有刺人的味道 'an unearned reputation', 'unearned praise', 'an unearned advantage'像'an unearned reputation'、'unearned praise'、'an unearned advantage' all mean you got something you did not deserve都是指你得到了不該得到的東西 and the speaker is not happy about it而且說話的人並不開心 So the same word is neutral in a tax office所以同一個字在稅務機關裡是中性的 and sharp in an argument但在爭論裡卻很尖銳 Read the noun beside it看它旁邊搭配的名詞 to know which one you have就知道是哪一種意思

Though actually, there is a third home for it in accounting that catches people out: 'unearned revenue' means money a company has already received but has not yet done the work for — a customer paid in advance. It sits on the books as a debt, not a profit, because the company still owes the service. Same word, quite a different idea: not 'money we didn't deserve' but 'money we haven't finished earning yet'.

Though actually, there is a third home for it in accounting不過其實它在會計上還有第三個用法 that catches people out常常讓人搞混 'unearned revenue' means money a company has already received'unearned revenue'指的是公司已經收到的錢 but has not yet done the work for但還沒完成對應的工作 a customer paid in advance也就是客戶預先付款 It sits on the books as a debt, not a profit它在帳上算是一筆負債而不是獲利 because the company still owes the service因為公司還欠著這項服務 Same word, quite a different idea同一個字卻是完全不同的概念 not 'money we didn't deserve'不是「我們不該得到的錢」 but 'money we haven't finished earning yet'而是「我們還沒賺完的錢」