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.
Maine’s Jared Golden and Washington’s Marie Gluesenkamp Perez on Tuesday took the unusual step of crossing party lines to vote for a rule that unlocked a series of floor votes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
It has gained around 19% in the week since the first tranche of shares were unlocked last Thursday and another release is coming next week.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
It unlocked a specific memory that would prove to be a crucial part of the evidence that brought their half-brother to justice.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The 912 million SpaceX shares that unlocked Thursday—holdings worth more than $100 billion—far exceed the previous supply of tradable stock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
When the jail guards heard Guiteau cry out, they immediately unlocked his cell door.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
