What does locked mean?
Locked means fastened, closed, or otherwise made secure, usually with a lock or another mechanism. It can describe a door, vehicle, container, or entrance that cannot be opened without a key or other means. The word also has figurative uses: a person can be locked out of a building, locked into an arrangement, or locked in conversation with a particular issue. A person or organization can be locked onto a subject, meaning that its attention or activity is firmly directed toward it. In the past tense, 'locked' describes a completed action: someone locked the door. As a past participle, it commonly appears after 'be' or in passive constructions, as in 'The entrance is locked after midnight.' The word is useful because it conveys both physical security and the broader idea of restriction, commitment, or concentrated attention.
Fastened or secured so that it cannot be opened, moved, or entered; also, firmly fixed or continuously focused.
"The museum keeps its valuable paintings locked overnight."
Figurative uses include being excluded from a place or situation and being firmly focused on a subject.
Past tense and past participle of lock: to fasten with a lock or secure in place.
"She locked the window before leaving the room."
Usually transitive, though it can also be used intransitively in constructions such as 'The door locked automatically.'
A locked door can make even an ordinary entrance feel like a boundary between ordinary life and something unknown.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of locked
The form 'locked' developed from the English verb 'lock' and is recorded from Middle English. The verb comes through Old French from a Germanic root associated with fastening or closing. Related English forms include 'locker' and 'locket', while 'unlock' explicitly reverses the action of the base verb.
Related word forms
How locked is actually used
The adjective and past-participle use is standard in formal and informal English. 'Locked out' commonly describes being unable to enter because a door or gate is secured, while 'locked in' can mean physically trapped or metaphorically committed to a situation. 'Locked onto' usually means focused continuously on something.