enclosed

American  

[en-klohzd] / ɛnˈkloʊzd /

adjective

1. inserted in the same envelope or package.

   Complete the enclosed contribution form and mail with your check or credit card information to the address below.

2. surrounded or shut in on all sides.

   The dogs like to hang out in the enclosed section outside the kennels.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of enclose.

Other Word Forms

• self-enclosed adjective
• unenclosed adjective

Etymology

Origin of enclosed

enclose ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Things that are enclosed are surrounded on all sides, closed or penned in. If your grandfather's condo development is enclosed by a high fence, you might need to check in with a guard before you can visit him. Your pet guinea pig is enclosed by her cage, and when you're at school, you are enclosed by the walls of the building. Homes, car lots, gardens, and school yards are all commonly enclosed by fences. If you put a check inside your cousin's birthday card, the money is also enclosed. Enclosed comes from the verb enclose, which is rooted in the Old French enclore, "surround, confine, or contain."

Example Sentences

Dorset Wildlife Trust introduced an adult pair of beavers into an enclosed site in west Dorset in February 2021, as part of a scientific study.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

It helps nurture a slower, older way of life, with pocket flocks and modest dairy herds enclosed by thick hedgerows foaming with cow parsley and twittering songbirds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Gone is the tarpaulin roof: The Bird Cage is now a fully enclosed, soundstage-like structure.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

At that time, communities were building enclosed settlements and returning to Bronze Age settlement mounds and parts of large fortified sites.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

I climbed inside the old shack that enclosed it, just to look down the deep, dark hole.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

• confined