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.
An unlocked access gate linked the yard around villas to a bamboo forest, making it possible for the prisoners to enter and exit at will.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Vertical drama apps use a coin-earning system that rewards users with unlocked clips when they stay on the app longer.
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2026
Among the projects which could be unlocked is a second phase of the Rosebank development, the Cambo field and Clair South - all of which sit west of Shetland.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
But they also unlocked a world of knowledge about antiquity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Conner unlocked his bike, and we started walking.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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.
