unseal

IPA/ʌnˈsiːl/
KK[ənsˈil]IPA/ʌnˈsiːl/

unseal — verb

  • unsealpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • unseals3rd person singular
  • unsealing-ing form
  • unsealedpast simple

1. to order that private records or papers can now be read by the public or by lawy

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to order that private records or papers can now be read by the public or by lawyers

Example

After the appeal, the judge unsealed the witness statements for both lawyers.

court or judge unseals legal documents

The federal court unsealed the contract a week before the election.

Common collocations
  • unseal court records
  • unseal documents
  • unseal a filing
  • unseal evidence
Synonyms
  • release

    broader and less tied to sealed legal material

  • disclose

    focuses on revealing information, not on a court order

  • declassify

    used more for official secrets than for court files

Antonyms
  • seal

    to place the documents under restricted access

  • withhold

    to keep the material from being shown or shared

Grammar Patterns

unseal + records/documents/file

court/judge/agency unseals + noun phrase

Usage Note

Usually used in court and government news. The subject is often a judge, court, or agency rather than an ordinary person.

Common Mistakes

The court opened the secret records yesterday.
The court unsealed the secret records yesterday.
in legal contexts, unseal shows that access restrictions were formally removed.

2. to break or lift a seal so that a closed container, package, or wrapped item can

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to break or lift a seal so that a closed container, package, or wrapped item can be opened

Example

Pim unsealed the jam jar and spread some on warm toast.

unseal + jar or package before using it

The nurse unsealed a fresh bandage pack beside the hospital bed.

Common collocations
  • unseal a jar
  • unseal a package
  • unseal a bandage pack
  • unseal a tin
Synonyms
  • open

    the general verb, without focus on a seal

  • unwrap

    used when covering material is removed rather than a seal being broken

  • uncover

    focuses on taking off a cover, not on breaking a seal

Antonyms
  • seal

    to close something so air or liquid cannot get in or out

  • reseal

    to close the item again after opening it

Grammar Patterns

unseal + jar/package/container

unseal + noun phrase + with + tool

Usage Note

Used when a seal, strip, or tight cover must be broken first. Distinguish from sense 3, which is mainly for letters and glued paper edges.

Common Mistakes

Can you unseal the bedroom door for me?
Can you unlock the bedroom door for me?
unseal is for sealed packaging or containers, not for ordinary locked doors.

3. to pull apart the stuck edge of an envelope, letter, or similar paper packet in

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to pull apart the stuck edge of an envelope, letter, or similar paper packet in order to get inside

Example

Élise unsealed the brown envelope before the bus reached campus.

unseal + envelope or letter

Felix carefully unsealed the old letter without tearing the thin paper.

carefully unsealed + paper item

Common collocations
  • unseal an envelope
  • unseal a letter
  • unseal a packet
  • unseal it carefully
Synonyms
  • open

    the general verb, with no focus on the glued edge

  • slit open

    suggests cutting the top edge with a knife or opener

  • tear open

    rougher and less careful than unseal

Antonyms
  • seal

    to close the envelope or packet by sticking it shut

  • reseal

    to stick the paper item closed again

Grammar Patterns

unseal + envelope/letter/packet

unseal + noun phrase + without + tearing

Usage Note

Usually used for paper items closed along the edge with glue. Distinguish from sense 2, which is broader and includes jars, tins, and medical packs.

Common Mistakes

I unsealed the email before breakfast.
I opened the email before breakfast.
unseal is used for physical sealed paper items, not for ordinary digital messages.

4. to make encrypted files, messages, or other digital information readable or usab

4.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to make encrypted files, messages, or other digital information readable or usable again

Example

Vivek unsealed the backup files with the recovery key.

unseal + encrypted data with a key

After the update, the app unsealed old messages from the archive.

Common collocations
  • unseal encrypted files
  • unseal a backup
  • unseal messages
  • unseal data with a key
Synonyms
  • decrypt

    the most exact technical term for turning coded data back into readable form

  • decode

    broader and can refer to other kinds of coded material

  • unlock

    broader and often used for gaining access to a device or account

Antonyms
  • encrypt

    to protect data by turning it into coded form

  • lock

    to block access to a file, device, or account

Grammar Patterns

unseal + files/data/messages

unseal + noun phrase + with + key/password

Usage Note

Common in security and software writing. The object is encrypted information, not a physical package or a court file.

Common Mistakes

I unsealed the folder on my desktop.
I opened the folder on my desktop.
unseal in computing usually implies encryption or protected access, not a normal click to open.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

These verbs all involve getting access to something, but they focus on different barriers. Unseal is used when a seal, strip, or closed edge must be broken first, so it fits jars, medical packs, letters, and even encrypted files in technical writing. Open is the broad everyday verb and says nothing about how the item was closed. Unlock is narrower: it means using a key, code, or other method to release a lock, especially on doors, devices, or accounts. Unwrap is different again because the covering is paper, plastic, or cloth around the item, not a seal that keeps it shut. You might unseal a jar, unlock a safe, unwrap a gift, and simply open a box.

unseal ↗open ↗unlock ↗unwrap ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • unseal court records
  • unseal an envelope
  • unseal encrypted data

Prepositions

Etymology

Latin (sigillum)Old French (seel)Middle English (seal)English (un- + seal)

Built in English from the prefix un-, meaning to reverse or remove something, and seal. The noun and verb seal came through Old French from Latin sigillum, a word for a small stamped mark. Unseal first referred to taking a physical seal off a letter or container. Later it widened to legal use for making closed records public, and then to digital use for making protected data readable again.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined above