1
a
: not open
b
c
: composed entirely of closed tubes or vessels
a closed circulatory system
2
a
: having the skin intact with no underlying tissue exposed
closed wounds
see also closed fracture
b
of a head injury : having the skull intact : not marked by fracture or penetration of the skull
3
a
: forming a self-contained unit allowing no additions
closed association
b(1)
: traced by a moving point that returns to an arbitrary starting point
closed curve
also : so formed that every plane section is a closed curve
closed surface
(2)
: characterized by mathematical elements that when subjected to an operation produce only elements of the same set
the set of whole numbers is closed under addition and multiplication
(3)
: containing all the limit points of every possible subset
a closed interval contains its endpoints
c
: characterized by continuous return and reuse of the working substance
a closed cooling system
d
of a racecourse : having the same starting and finishing point
4
a
: confined to a few
closed membership
b
: excluding participation of outsiders or witnesses : conducted in strict secrecy
c
: rigidly excluding outside influence
a closed mind
5
: ending in a consonant
closed syllable

Examples of closed in a Sentence

He looked at me through half-closed eyes. The store is closed for lunch between 1 and 2 p.m. The beach is closed this time of night. These restrooms are closed for cleaning. The chairman declared the discussion closed and allowed no further speeches.
Recent Examples on the Web The suspect punched the victim in the head five times with a closed fist. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 According to county documents, the facility voluntarily closed and will not be able to reopen until the health department verifies that the restaurant’s walk-in cooler and prep unit can hold foods at 41 degrees or below. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 Being a microwave sterilizer, each cycle is complete within four to six minutes, and with a closed lid, the contents remain sterile for up to 24 hours. Samson McDougall, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 Many will remain closed on Monday as crews dig out. Susannah Cullinane, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Both devices come with a Liquid Retina display and up to 500 nits of brightness, along with support for up to two external displays when the laptops are closed. Emma Roth, The Verge, 4 Mar. 2024 On the north side of Lake Tahoe, Interstate 80 remained closed due to snow for a third day. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 While Gemini is a big closed AI model that directly competes with (and is nearly as powerful as) OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the lightweight Gemma will likely be suitable for smaller tasks like simple chatbots or summarizations. Emilia David, The Verge, 21 Feb. 2024 It’s been several months since longtime Chinese restaurant Jen Jen’s closed in Overland Park. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'closed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of closed was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near closed

Cite this Entry

“Closed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

closed

adjective
1
a
: not open : enclosed
b
: made up entirely of closed tubes or vessels
a closed circulatory system
2
: formed by a line that returns to its starting point
a closed curve
3
: having elements that when a mathematical operation (as addition) is performed on them produce only other elements of the same set
the set of whole numbers is closed under addition
4
: not admitting or not easily admitting new members
a closed meeting
a closed society

Medical Definition

closed

adjective
1
: being a complete self-contained system with nothing transferred in or out
a closed thermodynamic system
2
a
: having the skin intact with no underlying tissue exposed
closed wounds
see closed fracture
b
of a head injury : having the skull intact : not marked by fracture or penetration of the skull
Closed head injuries result from the force of a blast or a blow in which the skull remains intact but the brain, surrounded by fluid like an egg yolk, gets wrenched or slammed against the skull wall.Neil Shea
3
: not discharging pathogenic organisms to the outside
a case of closed tuberculosis
compare open entry 1 sense 2

Legal Definition

closed

adjective
1
: confined to a few
closed membership
2
: excluding outsiders or witnesses : conducted in secrecy
closed hearings
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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