unbarred
/'ʌn'bɑ:d/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not fastened or secured with a bar or similar obstruction; open or unlocked: Describes something, typically a door, gate, or entrance, that is not blocked or held shut by a physical bar or bolt, allowing free passage.
- Not restricted or impeded; free from barriers: Used figuratively to describe a situation, opportunity, or path that is open and unobstructed.
Usage and Examples
- Literal Usage (Physical Barrier):
- The guard left the prison gate unbarred by mistake.
- We entered through the unbarred door at the back of the building.
- Figurative Usage:
- Her promotion unbarred a path to new career opportunities. (Here, 'unbarred' is used as a verb in the past tense, meaning 'removed barriers from'.)
- The new policy unbarred access to the archives for all researchers.
Advanced Usage and Notes
- As a Verb (Past Tense of 'Unbar'): While 'unbarred' is commonly an adjective, it can also function as the simple past tense and past participle of the verb 'to unbar', meaning to remove a bar or obstruction from.
- She unbarred the heavy wooden door and stepped outside.
- Context: The word often implies a deliberate or noticeable state of being open or unrestricted, contrasting with a norm of being closed or secured.
Variants and Related Words
- Unbar (verb): To remove a bar from; to open or unlock by removing a barrier.
- Please unbar the gate when you leave.
- Unlocked (adjective): Similar in meaning, but specifically refers to something not fastened with a lock.
- Unlatched (adjective): Refers specifically to something not fastened with a latch.
- Unbolted (adjective): Refers specifically to something not fastened with a bolt.
Synonyms
- Open
- Unlocked
- Unlatched
- Unfastened
- Accessible
Antonyms
- Barred
- Locked
- Bolted
- Secured
- Closed
Related Phrases and Figurative Use
- To leave the door unbarred: To leave an opportunity open or to fail to secure against entry.
- By not patenting his idea, he left the door unbarred for competitors.
- An unbarred path: A course of action that is free from obstacles.
- The scholarship provided her with an unbarred path to university.
Adjective
-
not firmly fastened or secured
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an unbarred door
-
went through the unlatched gate into the street
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an unlocked room
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