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.
The IMF forecast global growth of 3.1% this year, warning that unchecked inflation and borrowing costs could cause a sharp slowdown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Wednesday called for international cooperation as their companies grapple with the dangers of unchecked artificial intelligence.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Some have said publicly there is a chance that the technology could, if unchecked, kill all humans.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
"Left unchecked, it could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems, and so must be pursued very carefully, if at all," Amodei wrote.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
The fire went largely unchecked because the additional men and equipment took many hours to arrive.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
