Words / A2

un-PAYD/ˌʌnˈpeɪd/

Unpaid means not paid, or work without money: unpaid bills, unpaid leave, unpaid work. Paid is the opposite. Free can mean without payment, but also “available”. Volunteer work is often unpaid. Do not write unpaid when you mean unpack, or underpaid (paid too little).

Meaning

Not paid; without money for the work.

Examples

• “She does unpaid work at the animal shelter at weekends.”
• “The invoice is still unpaid after two weeks.”
• “He took a week of unpaid leave to help his parents.”

Good to know

unpaid bills / unpaid work / unpaid leave. Opposite: paid. Mix-up: underpaid, unpack.

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