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.
A post from an artificial intelligence researcher who quit AI firm Anthropic went viral last week after it claimed AI could kill all humans by the end of the decade if left unchecked.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Left unchecked, it could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems, and so must be pursued very carefully, if at all,” he added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
Among the president’s advisors, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Office of the National Cyber Director have expressed the greatest concern with the potential of an unchecked intelligence explosion, the source said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
A reference for our time is Judge Richard Posner’s 1995 book, “Aging and Old Age,” with its frank discussion of the relationship between shortened time horizons in the elderly and unchecked selfishness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Each of these was a real and important factor in the way the fire was able to race through the city unchecked, yet none was singled out as the cause.
From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy
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.
