closet
Americannoun
-
closets
plural
-
a small room, enclosed recess, or cabinet for storing clothing, food, utensils, etc.
-
a small private room, especially one used for prayer, meditation, etc.
-
a state or condition of secrecy or carefully guarded privacy.
Some conservatives remain in the closet except on election day. Gay liberation has encouraged many gay people to come out of the closet.
adjective
-
private; secluded.
-
suited for use or enjoyment in privacy.
closet reflections; closet prayer.
-
engaged in private study or speculation; speculative; unpractical.
a closet thinker with no practical experience.
-
being or functioning as such in private; secret.
a closet anarchist.
verb (used with object)
-
closets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
closeted,
past participle, past
-
closeting
present participle
noun
-
a small cupboard or recess
-
a small private room
-
short for water closet
-
(modifier) private or secret
-
(modifier) suited or appropriate for use in private
closet meditations
-
(modifier) based on or devoted to theory; speculative
a closet strategist
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
closetsimple
-
closetssimple
-
have closetedperfect
-
has closetedperfect
-
am closetingprogressive
-
are closetingprogressive
-
is closetingprogressive
-
have been closetingperfect progressive
-
has been closetingperfect progressive
Past
-
closetedsimple
-
had closetedperfect
-
was closetingprogressive
-
were closetingprogressive
-
had been closetingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of closet
1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Middle French, equivalent to clos close (noun) + -et -et
Vocabulary lists containing closet
List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
The secondary bedroom is a special spot, too, as it’s nestled in a corner of the unit, offering additional sunlight and another walk-in closet.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
Mixue squeezed this blueprint into franchised stalls as small as 45 square feet, the size of a walk-in closet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“My closet is full of winter coats, you know what I mean?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
In addition to checking off my goals, I was also heavily encouraged to shop for my bird’s closet, furnish his apartment, and complete the in-app quests.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026
“All the watches in your closet are safe.”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
“The primary suite is a private retreat featuring a fireplace, secluded deck, dual spa-inspired baths, individual walk-in closets, a Sitting Room, and dedicated massage and salon rooms,” the listing adds.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
The primary suite serves as another luxurious retreat, boasting dual walk-in closets and a spa-inspired en suite bathroom.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Don’t forget to capture high-value items in drawers and closets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
I spent some of the newfound time poking in drawers, filing cabinets and closets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
He half expected somebody to come stumbling out of one of the closets, a nerd who had snuck in when nobody was looking.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
Part of this may have been an overreaction to pariah status, post-McCarthy, and part of it may have been the sensibility of a closeted gay man.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Hired as a Skyline security guard, Aaron is promoted to fixer, keeping himself and Skyline’s A-listers closeted by any means necessary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
"I've grown up around this and I've seen it all from my own perspective. I think that's what I'm so proud to see. There was almost a time when you were a closeted Arsenal fan."
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
“It kind of siphoned all of that pent-up, closeted stuff that you hold back, that you couldn’t freely express,” she said.
From Slate ● May 4, 2026
Thupa Inka closeted himself with the local leadership and laid out many inspired ideas for the valley’s betterment, all of which were gratefully endorsed.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
You haven’t been able to keep up with your regular phone calls because of the pain of closeting yourself.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2019
If nothing else, it’s smarter closeting strategy—people are going to get a lot more suspicious if every time they see him with you, he starts stammering and shoving you out of view.
From Slate ● Mar. 8, 2016
Soon he was closeting himself in his room listening raptly and endlessly to John Gielgud reciting Clarence’s speech from “Richard III,” desperately attempting to obliterate his Jersey accent.
From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2012
“We have no visibility, people are dying, and this whole world is just closeting everything.”
From Washington Post
No more closeting;, she could have one part of Old Chao, Janis and the children another.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
