enclose
Americanverb (used with object)
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encloses,
present (3rd person singular)
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enclosed,
past participle, past
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enclosing
present participle
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to shut or hem in; close in on all sides.
a valley enclosed by tall mountains.
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to surround, as with a fence or wall.
to enclose land.
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to insert in the same envelope, package, or the like.
He enclosed a check.
A book was sent with the bill enclosed.
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to hold or contain.
His letter enclosed a check.
-
Roman Catholic Church.
verb
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to close; hem in; surround
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to surround (land) with or as if with a fence
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to put in an envelope or wrapper, esp together with a letter
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to contain or hold
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enclosernoun
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preencloseverb (used with object)
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reencloseverb (used with object)
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enclosableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enclosesimple
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enclosessimple
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have enclosedperfect
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has enclosedperfect
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am enclosingprogressive
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are enclosingprogressive
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is enclosingprogressive
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have been enclosingperfect progressive
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has been enclosingperfect progressive
Past
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enclosedsimple
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had enclosedperfect
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was enclosingprogressive
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were enclosingprogressive
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had been enclosingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enclose
First recorded in 1275–1325, enclose is from the Middle English word enclosen, inclosen. See in- 1, close
Explanation
To enclose something is to surround it or cover it up. An envelope encloses a letter. To enclose is to put something inside something else. A crowd of people could enclose a celebrity, or a wall might enclose a garden. In Edgar Allan Poe’s story “Masque of the Red Death,” the Prince encloses his party guests inside the castle walls (along with the Red Death). (Oops!) A box might enclose a present. If you enclose something with a letter, you’re putting it in the envelope, too.
Vocabulary lists containing enclose
Case Closed: Clud, Clus
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act V
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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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.
See Examples For:
Four walls enclose the courts, including a 15-foot-tall front wall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
A family found the cans - light-tight containers used to enclose film - in the shed belonging to their father, an editor on the show who died recently.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2024
In an open letter sent to the community in January, SHM described the “double-barrier” that will enclose the pens and other measures to address these concerns.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 19, 2024
The new method also makes it possible to enclose several hundred proteins in a small volume, an important feature for further understanding.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 20, 2023
They organized work forces to construct large irrigation systems for agriculture and to enclose large ponds for fish production.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
But it had no lights of its own, so the volunteers used the LED lights and glow sticks to attach homemade Dodgers-themed signage to the fence that encloses the bridge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
The cargo capacity is roughly equivalent: the CX-50 encloses 31.4 cubic feet behind the second-row seats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
This approach encloses CBD molecules within water-soluble nano-micelles, which are considered safe for use in foods and medicines.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2025
Towards the back of the area so far excavated there is a wall that encloses three rooms.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2023
But who has ever torn himself from the claw that encloses you when you drop a seed in a TV parlour?
From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
They enclosed $75 as their contribution to the proposed stadium, and the city took it from there, passing a $550,000 bond measure to fund construction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
The film depicted a sailor who was below deck, tasked with watching machines in an enclosed, lonely room while the war against the enemy raged outside.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Within these enclosed environments, breathable oxygen could be produced through photosynthesis or water electrolysis.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
An enclosed venue gives you the ability to host major concerts, conventions and other events that simply aren’t practical in an open-air stadium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
He twisted it to catch the light and saw a group of hieroglyphics enclosed in an oval line.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Bizarrely, a green gate and fence enclosing the site stood untouched.
From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026
Some hotels have been moving the sink and shower into the bedroom and enclosing the toilet in glass or placing it in cubby-like space, which helps make the room look more spacious, Hanson said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
In fact, it later puffs up sideways and transforms into what looks like a huge cosmic watermelon, enclosing everything close by.
From Space Scoop ● Nov. 28, 2025
They studied the VOCs by enclosing the eight-week-old tomato plants with an odor-blocking oven bag for an hour.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 2024
“Congratulations!” he exclaimed bitterly, the thinnest milk- white line enclosing his lips tightly in a bloodless, squeezing ring.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
