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.
It launched a sub-brand called D&B Unlocked, a ticketed event discovery platform in which guests can sift through upcoming nightlife offerings at their local arcade.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
In 2019, the city’s Affordability Unlocked program waived requirements for developers to build a certain number of parking spaces if they earmarked at least 50% of the project as affordable.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
Phil Wilkes, the lead researcher of Nature Unlocked, said that the project would allow researchers to explore how ecosystems work, respond to change and how they support both wildlife and people.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
The German bank’s largest shareholder, Italy’s UniCredit, is launching a takeover offer on May 5 in a bid to push through the implementation of a business plan it called Commerzbank Unlocked.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Unlocked the dead bolt, turned the knob, pulled the door open.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
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.
