unlatch B2 Topic:Actions & Processes US /ʌnˈlætʃ/ UK /ʌnˈlætʃ/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to unfasten or release something secured with a latch She left the door unlatched, allowing the breeze to enter. Verb forms Verb forms are not available for this word yet. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to unfasten or release... unlockunboltunfastenopenrelease ↔ Opposites latchfastensecurebolt Etymology AI details From the prefix un- 'reverse, undo' plus latch 'to fasten with a latch,' meaning 'to release a latch; to unfasten.' Topics Actions & Processes External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # unlatch **Type:** Word **Level:** B2 **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ʌnˈlætʃ/ **IPA (UK):** /ʌnˈlætʃ/ ## Meanings 1. to unfasten or release something secured with a latch ## Examples - She left the door unlatched, allowing the breeze to enter. ## Synonyms - unlock - unbolt - unfasten - open - release ## Antonyms - latch - fasten - secure - bolt ## Etymology From the prefix un- 'reverse, undo' plus latch 'to fasten with a latch,' meaning 'to release a latch; to unfasten.' ## AI Etymology Unlatch comes from the prefix un- 'reverse, undo' plus latch 'to fasten with a latch,' meaning 'to release a latch; to unfasten.'. In current use it is a verb meaning "to unfasten or release something secured with a latch". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The prefix un- is reversative here, marking an undoing or release rather than mere negation. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. As a result, the modern word is best read as a negative, privative, or reversative formation built on a historically older base. ## Topics - Actions & Processes markdown