closed-door

American  

[klohzd-dawr, -dohr] / ˈkloʊzdˈdɔr, -ˈdoʊr /

adjective

1. held in strict privacy; not open to the press or the public.

   a closed-door strategy meeting of banking executives.

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closed-door British  

adjective

1. private; barred to members of the public

   a closed-door meeting

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closed door Idioms  

1. An obstacle or restriction, as in There are no closed doors in the new field of gene therapy . [First half of 1900s]

2. close one's doors . See close down . Also see behind closed doors ; close the door .

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Etymology

Origin of closed-door

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The UN Security Council will hold closed-door consultations on Friday to discuss attacks on Iran at Moscow's request, Russian state media reported.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

"It's an appropriate, fair punishment," Karolina Kolary, a laywer for Izabela's family, told journalists after the closed-door hearing.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

Hillary Clinton nearly stormed out of her closed-door testimony to US lawmakers about Jeffrey Epstein after a photo of her from the deposition was leaked, newly released video footage shows.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

The Los Angeles Unified school board has held three closed-door meetings since the raid as it grapples with the stunning developments that have ensnared Carvalho, among the most prominent K-12 education leaders in the nation.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

Although the final draft of the document was conspicuously silent on slavery, the subject itself haunted the closed-door debates.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis