closed system
Americannoun
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A physical system that does not interact with other systems. A closed system obeys the conservation laws in its physical description.
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Also called isolated system
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Compare open system
Etymology
Origin of closed system
First recorded in 1895–1900
Compare meaning
How does closed-system compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Rather than building a closed system around a single dominant app, India created common digital plumbing on which competing companies could operate.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Even if you’re using an employer’s closed system, just don’t copy and paste your notes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
However, the energy and momentum of solar wind particles on open field lines does transfer to the closed system.
From Science Daily ● May 6, 2024
But Tesla cars could be ready because they operate on a closed system, Tal said, where the company makes both the EVs and the chargers.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 27, 2023
Wal-Mart, when you’re in it, is total—a closed system, a world unto itself.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
