unchecked
Britishadjective
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not prevented from continuing or growing
unchecked population growth
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not examined or inspected
adverb
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without being stopped or hindered
the virus could spread unchecked
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without being examined or inspected
our luggage passed unchecked through customs
Explanation
If something isn't held back or restrained, it's unchecked, like the unchecked growth of the weeds in your neighbor's garden. Use unchecked to describe things that are increasing or growing, especially if they're unwanted. The unchecked sprawl of a city might result in the loss of animal habitats, and your class's unchecked chatter will eventually make it impossible for you to hear the teacher when he tries to get your attention. This word comes from the verb check, "to hold or control," the way you control your opponent's king in a game of chess by putting it in check.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His tone has grown more strident as he uncovers more examples of apparent fraud, which he attributes to junior researchers chasing career advancement and senior professors letting misconduct go unchecked to burnish their own résumés.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
The European Commission, in charge of EU trade policy, says the step is about slashing the financial burden on customs duties after the explosion in imports, and tackling the safety risks from unchecked goods.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
“The Pacific Palisades and the Malibu area burned and thousands of people paid the price for the defendant’s unchecked anger on New Year’s Eve.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026
Salim says that both show the dangers of allowing pride to fester and swell unchecked.
From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026
Sometimes he thought of Antonapoulos with awe and self-abasement, sometimes with pride—always with love unchecked by criticism, freed of will.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
