enclosed
Americanadjective
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inserted in the same envelope or package.
Complete the enclosed contribution form and mail with your check or credit card information to the address below.
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surrounded or shut in on all sides.
The dogs like to hang out in the enclosed section outside the kennels.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of enclosed
Explanation
Things that are enclosed are surrounded on all sides, closed or penned in. If your grandfather's condo development is enclosed by a high fence, you might need to check in with a guard before you can visit him. Your pet guinea pig is enclosed by her cage, and when you're at school, you are enclosed by the walls of the building. Homes, car lots, gardens, and school yards are all commonly enclosed by fences. If you put a check inside your cousin's birthday card, the money is also enclosed. Enclosed comes from the verb enclose, which is rooted in the Old French enclore, "surround, confine, or contain."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Malls are outperforming every other commercial-property type as more investors bet that enclosed shopping centers have more staying power than previously understood, the Journal’s Kate King writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
On Aug. 21, teams enclosed the observatory inside the protective fairing of its SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
They enclosed $75 as their contribution to the proposed stadium, and the city took it from there, passing a $550,000 bond measure to fund construction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
The ideal invention would be a light polyester air-conditioned undergarment, enclosed around the neck, wrists and ankles and battery operated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
A pond enclosed within a black stone wall that is surrounded by white gravel.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
