unlock
/ʌnˈlɒk
/verb [with object]
1Undo the lock of (something), typically with a key: he unlocked the door to his room...
- One of the interesting features of the new building is the automatic security system, which locks and unlocks the doors at preset times.
- Luckily my car has remote central locking so I am still able to lock and unlock the doors.
- She found them and turned it in the lock, unlocking the door and sliding it open.
Synonyms
unbolt, unlatch, unbar, undo, unfasten, unpick, unseal, unclose, open, free, throw open/wide
1.1Make (something previously inaccessible or unexploited) available for use: the campaign has helped us unlock rich reserves of talent among our employees...
- This has been the key to unlocking the rich historical and anthropological significance of this art form.
- The music selection in Mad Maestro is quite large with thirty-some songs available to unlock.
- The missions are objective based, and although they don't all have to be completed it pays to as at the end it unlocks a ‘Specialist’ who is available for future missions.
2Use a password or other form of authentication to access the full functionality or data of (a computer, mobile phone, file, etc.): when you unlock your phone, you’re presented with the ‘home screen’—the interface that shows off all your apps...
- You can even dismiss notifications without unlocking your phone.
- The 5S allows owners to unlock their phone quicker by using a fingerprint instead of a passcode.
- The hard press will activate the screen, and the light touch will unlock the phone.
2.1Make (a mobile phone) capable of operating on the network of any chosen carrier: you cannot unlock your phone while you are under contract...
- It is illegal to unlock your phone without a carrier's permission.
- Telephone companies will unlock phones that are out of contract, but whether they charge a fee to do this varies somewhat.
- When we say "unlock" in this guide, we don't mean unlocking your phone to use a different carrier, which is a completely different process.
Phrases
unlock the land