To unseal means to open something that was closed or secured, especially something that was sealed officially or kept secret. When archaeologists unseal an ancient tomb, they're opening it for the first time in centuries. When a judge unseals court documents, those papers become available for the public to read after being kept confidential.

The word implies a deliberate, significant opening. You might open a cereal box, but you unseal something that was deliberately closed to protect, preserve, or hide what's inside. Scientists unseal specimens that were vacuum-packed for preservation. Officials might unseal evidence that was locked away during an investigation.

Unsealing something often reveals information or objects that were meant to stay hidden until the right moment. When a time capsule is unsealed after fifty years, people discover what was carefully preserved inside. The act of unsealing marks an important moment: what was secret becomes known, what was preserved becomes accessible, what was protected is finally revealed.