Standard Lemma guide

enclosure

noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ɛnˈkloʊʒəɹ/
  • US: /ɪnˈkloʊʒəɹ/
  • UK: /ɪnˈkləʊʒə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ɘnˈklɐʉʒɘ/
  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 N K L OW1 ZH ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: IH0 N K L OW1 ZH ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Something that is enclosed, i.e. inserted into a letter or similar package.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • There was an enclosure with the letter — a photo.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of enclosing, i.e. the insertion or inclusion of an item in a letter or package.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • The enclosure of a photo with your letter is appreciated.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An area, domain, or amount of something partially or entirely enclosed by barriers.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • He faced punishment for creating the fenced enclosure in a public park.
  • The glass enclosure holds the mercury vapor.
  • The winning horse was first into the unsaddling enclosure.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The act of separating and surrounding an area, domain, or amount of something with a barrier.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • The enclosure of public land is against the law.
  • The experiment requires the enclosure of mercury vapor in a glass tube.
  • At first, untrained horses resist enclosure.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The act of restricting access to ideas, works of art or technologies using patents or intellectual property laws.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The post-feudal process of subdivision of common lands for individual ownership.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Qualifier: British History

Examples

  • Strip-farming disappeared after enclosure.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

The area of a convent, monastery, etc where access is restricted to community members.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

the act of enclosing something inside something else

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enclosing, envelopment, inclosure

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: insertion, introduction, intromission

Narrower terms: packing, boxing, encasement, incasement

9

noun

Meaning 9

a structure consisting of an area that has been enclosed for some purpose

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: area

Narrower terms: cage, coop, cargo area, cargo deck, cargo hold, hold, storage area, catchall, chamber, compound, dock, echo chamber, lock, lock chamber, nacelle, pen, pit, playpen, plenum, pound, dog pound, recess, niche, vivarium, yard

10

noun

Meaning 10

something (usually a supporting document) that is enclosed in an envelope with a covering letter

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inclosure

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: document, written document, papers

11

noun

Meaning 11

a naturally enclosed space

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: natural enclosure

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: space

Narrower terms: cavern, matrix

History

Etymology

From Middle English enclosure, from Old French enclosure, from enclore, from Latin inclūdere, inclūdō, from in- (“in”) + claudō (“to shut”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kleh2u- (“key, hook, nail”). Alike to inclusion.

Across languages

Translations

108 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: приложе́ние (priložénie) — something enclosed
  • Catalan: tancament — something enclosed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 附件 (fùjiàn) — something enclosed
  • Czech: příloha — something enclosed
  • Danish: indlæg — something enclosed
  • Danish: bilag — something enclosed
  • Finnish: liite — something enclosed
  • French: pièce jointe — something enclosed
  • German: Anlage — something enclosed
  • German: Beilage — something enclosed
  • Hindi: संलग्न (sanlagna) — something enclosed
  • Italian: allegato — something enclosed
  • Japanese: 別紙 (besshi) — something enclosed
  • Latin: clausum — something enclosed
  • Russian: приложе́ние (priložénije) — something enclosed
  • Russian: вложе́ние (vložénije) — something enclosed
  • Serbo-Croatian: брањевито — something enclosed
  • Serbo-Croatian: branjevito — something enclosed
  • Spanish: encierro — something enclosed
  • Spanish: cercamiento — something enclosed
  • Tarifit: afray — something enclosed
  • Turkish: ilişik — something enclosed
  • Catalan: clausura — act of enclosing
  • Catalan: tancament — act of enclosing
  • Czech: oplocení — act of enclosing
  • Czech: ohrazení — act of enclosing
  • French: encloitrer — act of enclosing
  • French: encloîtrer — act of enclosing
  • German: Beilegen — act of enclosing
  • German: Beifügen — act of enclosing
  • German: Hinzufügen — act of enclosing
  • Māori: taiepatanga — act of enclosing
  • Māori: tāepatanga — act of enclosing
  • Russian: включение (vključenije) — act of enclosing
  • Russian: вложение (vloženije) — act of enclosing
  • Spanish: encierro — act of enclosing
  • Spanish: cercamiento — act of enclosing
  • Spanish: encierre — act of enclosing
  • Spanish: encerradura — act of enclosing
  • Spanish: encerramiento — act of enclosing
  • Bulgarian: оградено място (ogradeno mjasto) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Catalan: tancat — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Chinese Mandarin: 圍場 /围场 (wéichǎng) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Danish: indhegning — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Finnish: suljettu alue — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Finnish: aidattu alue — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • French: enclos — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Gallo: tio — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • German: Gehege — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • German: eingefriedetes Grundstück — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • German: Einschließung — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌰 (garda) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Ancient Greek: περίβολος (períbolos) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Hindi: बाड़ा (bāṛā) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Hindi: बाड़ (bāṛ) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Icelandic: girðing — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Irish: clós — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Irish: bábhún — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Irish: banrach — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Irish: loca — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Irish: mainnear — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Irish: fál — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Italian: recinto — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Japanese: 囲い込み (kakoikomi) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Latin: clausum — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Norwegian Bokmål: innhegning — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: innhegning — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Old Church Slavonic: ограждениѥ (ograždenije) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Old English: tūn — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Portuguese: cercado — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Romanian: împrejmuire — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Russian: огоро́женное ме́сто (ogoróžennoje mésto) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Serbo-Croatian: бра̀њевина — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Serbo-Croatian: одрађевина — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Serbo-Croatian: brànjevina — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Serbo-Croatian: odrađevina — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Spanish: encierro — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Spanish: recinto — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Spanish: telera — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Spanish: redil — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Spanish: aprisco — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Spanish: encerradero — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Spanish: encerradura — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Spanish: encerramiento — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Swedish: inhägnad — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Swedish: hage — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Tocharian B: prautke — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Turkish: çevrelenmiş — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Turkish: çitlenmiş — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Ottoman Turkish: قوری (korı, koru) — area partially or entirely enclosed by walls, fences or buildings
  • Czech: ohrazení — act of separating and surrounding an area etc. with a barrier
  • French: cloitrer — act of separating and surrounding an area etc. with a barrier
  • German: Einzäunen — act of separating and surrounding an area etc. with a barrier
  • German: Einschließen — act of separating and surrounding an area etc. with a barrier
  • Māori: taiepatanga — act of separating and surrounding an area etc. with a barrier
  • Māori: tāepatanga — act of separating and surrounding an area etc. with a barrier
  • Russian: ограждение (ograždenije) — act of separating and surrounding an area etc. with a barrier
  • Chinese Mandarin: 圈地運動 /圈地运动 (quāndì yùndòng) — post-feudal process of subdivision of common lands for individual ownership
  • Spanish: reparto — post-feudal process of subdivision of common lands for individual ownership
  • Swedish: inhägnande — post-feudal process of subdivision of common lands for individual ownership
  • Turkish: çitleme — post-feudal process of subdivision of common lands for individual ownership
  • Catalan: clausura — inaccessible part of the monastery
  • French: cloître — inaccessible part of the monastery
  • German: Klausur — inaccessible part of the monastery
  • Italian: clausura — inaccessible part of the monastery
  • Latin: clausura — inaccessible part of the monastery
  • Polish: klauzura — inaccessible part of the monastery
  • Spanish: clausura — inaccessible part of the monastery
Real reading context

enclosure in complete knowledge articles