unchecked
Britishadjective
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not prevented from continuing or growing
unchecked population growth
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not examined or inspected
adverb
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without being stopped or hindered
the virus could spread unchecked
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without being examined or inspected
our luggage passed unchecked through customs
Explanation
If something isn't held back or restrained, it's unchecked, like the unchecked growth of the weeds in your neighbor's garden. Use unchecked to describe things that are increasing or growing, especially if they're unwanted. The unchecked sprawl of a city might result in the loss of animal habitats, and your class's unchecked chatter will eventually make it impossible for you to hear the teacher when he tries to get your attention. This word comes from the verb check, "to hold or control," the way you control your opponent's king in a game of chess by putting it in check.
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.
The way Spain sees it, the crisis has been contained and Ceuta is not in the Schengen zone so Moroccan migrants were never going to head for mainland Europe, unchecked.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
France's major fire remained unchecked and volatile -- driven by gusts that in some cases were generated by the turbulent blazes themselves.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Multiply that by orders of magnitude when a wildfire crossing an urban interface is left unchecked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Some investors are also concerned about Musk’s “basically unchecked power” over SpaceX and the company’s roughly $2 trillion valuation, she added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
But over the decade following the riot, gangs and organized crime continued to operate unchecked by the mayor, angering enough citizens that Thompson was voted out in 1931, never to hold office again.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
