enclosed
Americanadjective
-
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.
-
surrounded or shut in on all sides.
The dogs like to hang out in the enclosed section outside the kennels.
verb
Other Word Forms
- self-enclosed adjective
- unenclosed adjective
Etymology
Origin of enclosed
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
The researchers describe this system as a "pseudo-organelle," a functional compartment that is not enclosed by a membrane but still plays a major role in organizing cell behavior.
From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026
Gone is the tarpaulin roof: The Bird Cage is now a fully enclosed, soundstage-like structure.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
Only the bedrooms, water closet, and winter parlor were fully enclosed.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
