uncontrolled
Britishadjective
Explanation
Do your little cousins go running wildly around the house every time they're visiting? Then they're uncontrolled — they aren't being restrained by anyone or anything. Anything uncontrolled isn't kept in check or held back. An uncontrolled scream is intense, because you're not trying to tamp it down. An uncontrolled balloon has blown loose and is flying around with no one holding its string. And scientifically speaking, an uncontrolled study or experiment doesn't use a so-called "control group," which is used for comparison and makes the study more valid.
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.
"And cancer is potentially exploiting that same principle, changing where in the genome these dynamics are more important to manipulate cell identity and encourage uncontrolled growth."
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
Scientists found that consuming caffeine at night can increase impulsive behavior, raising the likelihood of risky or uncontrolled actions.
From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026
Raymond Barlow, from the council's building standards team, told BBC Scotland News that it was not possible to demolish the facade with a machine as it would cause an uncontrolled collapse.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
Since then, he’s suffered from bouts of uncontrolled sobbing and relentless nightmares.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
They crowded, dark and uncontrolled, to the borders of the drive.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
