: used in, shown on, or being a television installation in which the signal is transmitted by wire to a limited number of receivers
a closed-circuit telecast
closed-circuit surveillance cameras
The measure, Senate Bill 26-095, would also allow accusers in those crimes to potentially testify via closed-circuit television in a room other than the courtroom to avoid being in close proximity to the suspect.—Jenny Deam

Examples of closed-circuit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Schwartz used those coordinates to pull video from the city's closed-circuit cameras and security cameras from Violet's neighbors. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 10 May 2026 The film had to be processed and shipped before it could be seen beyond Germany’s closed-circuit signal. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026 Smith positions the avenging goddess in a horror-show hall of mirrors, with a closed-circuit video feed focused on Vindicatrix’s upraised arm gesturing in oath. — Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026 Sports Haven was originally called Teletrack and was the first closed-circuit racing theater in the country. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for closed-circuit

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of closed-circuit was in 1936

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Cite this Entry

“Closed-circuit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closed-circuit. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

closed-circuit

noun
closed-cir·​cuit
ˈklōz(d)-ˈsər-kət
: a television installation in which the signal is sent by wire to a limited number of receivers
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