enclosed
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
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.
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
The enclosed venue makes premium seating easier to sell, because corporate clients are buying guaranteed comfort and weather certainty alongside the game.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Another thing that won’t change: Passengers will continue to walk across the tarmac from terminal to stairs to planes, rather than using the enclosed jetways common in other airports, especially larger ones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Most of the press boxes at this tournament are enclosed.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
We had been standing in a rough circle on the floor of the laboratory, just outside the two screen doors that enclosed the mice cages.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
![]()
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.