unlocked
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something that's unlocked isn't latched or secured. You can open an unlocked door and walk right through it. If your front door isn't locked, it's unlocked. Unless you lock it with a key or turn a bolt in the latch, it's going to stay unlocked. A more modern version of this adjective is used for mobile phones, and it means "able to operate on any carrier's network," rather than one specific network. So your unlocked smart phone will work with whichever phone company you choose.
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.
One step: make gun-owning parents think twice before leaving their weapons unlocked.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
Officers went to the property and it was unlocked with no one inside, although a wallet and driving licence in Clark's name were found.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Eger unlocked one woman’s grief by coaxing her to stand barefoot on her mother’s grave.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
VC: You seem to have unlocked what women actually want to wear.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
And tonight, when I turn the knob, the door is unlocked.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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.
