enclose
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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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:
Once you’ve decided to enclose it, you’ve changed the whole calculus of the building.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
They requested China enclose this section inside the embassy's security perimeter.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2025
The contractor asked if they wanted to move the washer and dryer to a different space in the home or enclose them to hide them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2024
Their capsule-like shape can enclose and protect mRNA, which provides instructions for cells to manufacture proteins.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 27, 2024
The thing to know about parentheses is that they can enclose a whole sentence standing alone, or something within a sentence.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
This curvaceous shape encloses an open and spacious cabin, with plenty of light in the second row and versatile storage in the stern.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
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
This process, discovered by Nobel laureate Yoshinori Ohsumi in 2016, encloses the accumulation within a lipid membrane similar to a cell membrane.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2025
It’s so stark, so subtle in how it encloses the space, turning it into a haven.
From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
As my heartbeat decreases and that knot that encloses my heart loosens, I think that maybe, just maybe, everything will be all right.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
‘The ideal invention would be a light polyester air-conditioned undergarment, enclosed around the neck, wrists and ankles and battery operated.’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
To protect the mRNA from breaking down before it reached its target, the researchers added a positively charged cholesterol derivative that helped keep the genetic material securely enclosed inside the nanoparticles.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
So a lot of the case against enclosed stadiums really comes from buildings most people haven’t been inside in 20 or 30 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Another thing that won’t change: Passengers will continue to walk across the tarmac from terminal to stairs to planes, rather than using the enclosed jetways common in other airports, especially larger ones.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Olanna asked, looking down at the child, whose hand was enclosed in hers.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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
Survey work has been conducted over the last two decades but researchers believed critical questions about "the date, development and function of both the enclosing elements and the internal settlement remain unanswered".
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 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
The energy field enclosing the roof prevents any desperate form of escape.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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.
