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.
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
Or the TCM could be in an isolated chamber, evacuated of air, which is known as a closed system.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 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
"It's a closed system that solves the problem. The tickets can't be resold."
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2023
This says that in any closed system disorder, or entropy, always increases with time.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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.
