# unchecked

/ənˈtʃɛkt/ (US) · /ʌntʃˈɛkt/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unchecked
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

something that is allowed to continue or grow without being stopped or controlled. You use this to describe problems that get worse because nobody intervenes.

For teachers: not restrained, controlled, or hindered. Often describes negative phenomena that escalate due to a lack of intervention or oversight.

## Examples

- The fire spread unchecked through the dry forest.
- If left unchecked, the software bug could eventually crash the entire operating system.
- Historians argue that the dictator's rise was facilitated by an unchecked expansion of executive power that the legislative branch failed to challenge.

## Usage notes

- Often follows a linking verb like 'remain' or 'go', or functions as a post-positive modifier after the noun it describes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.