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.
At this time, only Asa has unlocked the power to break and essentially died to do so, which partly explains her rakish eye patch.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Romance is the key that finally unlocked the world of reading for Amelia Lord after she had avoided it throughout her life.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
“I was doing something that I’d always dreamed of doing. It unlocked something I didn’t realize could be unlocked.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Still, it’s hard to shake the feeling that FIFA, in its desire to gobble every dollar, has unlocked a new luxury market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
“The sleeping car is the very last. The rear door will remain unlocked, as I am awaiting the arrival of my poor, sick brother who cannot walk without aid.”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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.
