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

Etymology

Origin of enclosure

First recorded in 1450–1500; enclose + -ure

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

Unless you just plan to reintroduce bears to the outdoor equivalent of a zoo enclosure, thoughtful habitat planning has to come first, says Bass, for a “fuller ecosystem.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

When you first step into South Hall, to your immediate right is “the bubble”—a barred enclosure fitted with chairs, a desk, a telephone, and a microwave.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

They will be placed in a private enclosure equipped with portable air-conditioners and industrial fans.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Most residents told AFP they were ambivalent about the plan, but most also believe the tigers will remain in an enclosure.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

“Just hope he’s still fine after he’s faced this lot,” said Charlie grimly, looking out over the dragons’ enclosure.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Artificial-intelligence systems have been displaying some eye-opening new abilities in recent weeks: breaking out of their enclosures, hacking other companies, lying to people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The region's Guigang Zoo asked the public for help on Wednesday to find at least 100 animals that had escaped after their enclosures were damaged, including alpacas, miniature pigs, and zebras.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

Thousands were precisely reproduced for the cleaner enclosures of the Maginot’s scientific mission.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

Part arch, part engineered shell, these dramatic enclosures solve multiple problems simultaneously.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

A plague upon bad zoos with bad enclosures!

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Related Words

• cage
• courtyard
• pen