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
The right way to fix the holes in the floor is kind of abstract, while the screws and plates in my utility closet are right there.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 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
“I’ve tried to do it, but my closet isn’t nearly as organized as his. If there’s ever a dish in the sink, it’s probably mine.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
I look through the bottles on the counter, the cleaning supplies, and the mass of cords in the bottom of her closet.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
“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
I have full closets I need to go through.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
It is in showers, behind walls, and deep in linen closets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The property also features a sizable media room, an expansive primary suite—with his-and-her closets and a spalike bathroom—and a playroom with its own stage and foam pit.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Was she supposed to avoid all closets unless specifically told to open them?
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
The book’s first section is told in through Eddy’s journal entries as he describes the contentious rehearsals that bring together a group of closeted Kingstonians of different ages, classes and levels of sexual candor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
We wanted to be mysterious and be closeted, and Katie was the one who encouraged us not to, and to just be ourselves.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 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
Lee Knight’s “A Friend of Dorothy” may be a tad on the nose about the cultural and emotional impact of a lonely London widow on a closeted teenaged boy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
He was closeted there for hours at a time.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
That there exists so recent and clear an example of purposeful Hollywood closeting helps explain, to a certain extent, how these narratives can take hold.
From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2019
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
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
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
