closet
Americannoun
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a small room, enclosed recess, or cabinet for storing clothing, food, utensils, etc.
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a small private room, especially one used for prayer, meditation, etc.
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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
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private; secluded.
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suited for use or enjoyment in privacy.
closet reflections; closet prayer.
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engaged in private study or speculation; speculative; unpractical.
a closet thinker with no practical experience.
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being or functioning as such in private; secret.
a closet anarchist.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a small cupboard or recess
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a small private room
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short for water closet
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(modifier) private or secret
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(modifier) suited or appropriate for use in private
closet meditations
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(modifier) based on or devoted to theory; speculative
a closet strategist
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have closetedperfect
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has closetedperfect 3rd person singular
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are closetingprogressive
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have been closetingperfect progressive
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is closetingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been closetingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am closetingprogressive 1st person singular
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closetingparticiple
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closetssingular 3rd person
Past
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had closetedperfect
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were closetingprogressive plural
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had been closetingperfect progressive
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was closetingprogressive singular
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closetedsimple
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closetedparticiple
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
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"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 2
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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 closet is not just a social phenomenon.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Yet as I wrangled them into my closet, something kept nagging at me like a pebble in an insole: Bernie Sanders’ eye-rolling dismissal outside the Senate elevator.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
The thrill of watching someone pay for something that’s been sitting in your closet for months is unmatched.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
From the start, Mr. Rollins understood the value of practicing long hours, which he did in his bedroom closet.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
I put the flyer on my desk and go over to my closet.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
