enclosure

American  

[en-kloh-zher] / ɛnˈkloʊ ʒər /

Also inclosure

noun

• enclosures
  plural

1. something that encloses, as a fence or wall.

2. something that is enclosed in or along with something else, as a photograph sent in a letter.

3. an area, such as a plot of ground or an indoor surface, surrounded by a fence, rope, or other barrier.

4. the separation and appropriation of land by means of a fence.

5. an act or instance of enclosing.

6. the state of being enclosed.

7. Roman Catholic Church. the part of a monastery or convent canonically separated or restricted as the living quarters of the religious, which a person may leave only with special permission or gain entrance to by special dispensation.

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enclosure British  

/ ɪnˈkləʊʒə /

noun

1. the act of enclosing or state of being enclosed

2. a region or area enclosed by or as if by a fence

3. 1. the act of appropriating land, esp common land, by putting a hedge or other barrier around it

   2. history such acts as were carried out at various periods in England, esp between the 12th and 14th centuries and finally in the 18th and 19th centuries

4. a fence, wall, etc, that serves to enclose

5. something, esp a supporting document, enclosed within an envelope or wrapper, esp together with a letter

6. a section of a sports ground, racecourse, etc, allotted to certain spectators

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonenclosure
  noun
• preenclosure
  noun
• semienclosure
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• enclosures
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of enclosure

First recorded in 1450–1500; enclose + -ure

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Explanation

An enclosure is something that closes you in, like a pen or a cage. When a cobra disappeared from an enclosure at the Bronx Zoo, the entire Reptile House had to be shut down until the snake was found. An enclosure can also be something that's included in an envelope with a cover letter of some sort. If you're sending a letter to your literary agent and you’re including a few pages of your latest limericks, you might put "enc." at the bottom of the letter, to indicate that you've included something extra in the envelope — an enclosure.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

enclosure enclosures

Boucher said her organization received permission from the National Park Service to set up a Missy Trap, an easy-to-build enclosure meant to capture pets in a humane manner.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Chapman had attended the park at about 13:30 BST on Saturday, climbed over two fences and entered the tiger enclosure.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

British police responded to reports of a man entering the enclosure at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near the northern city of Doncaster.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

She described seeing Chapman by the tiger enclosure "pacing around with his headphones in".

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

The little flap in the stone wall opens and meat slides into the enclosure.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Documents said the abandoned venture planned to include "reptile, mongoose and several animal enclosures".

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

The enclosures were described by facility staff as "'calming areas' for detainees to deescalate and have time alone," it said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

Among the recommendations made in the report was putting an end to the use of the small metal enclosures, greater access to showers for inmates and more recreation time.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

"Rolling enclosures I don't think work that well."

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

They moved quickly between other enclosures, but when they reached the grounds’ border, her steps slowed.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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Related Words

• cage
• courtyard
• pen

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