closet

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noun clos·et \ ˈklä-zət , ˈklȯ- \

Definition of closet

1 a :an apartment or small room for privacy

b :a monarch's or official's private chamber

2 :a cabinet or recess for especially china, household utensils, or clothing

3 :a place of retreat or privacy

4 :water closet

5 :a state or condition of secrecy, privacy, or obscurity

came out of the closet

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closetful

play \-ˌfu̇l\ noun

See closet defined for English-language learners

See closet defined for kids

Examples of closet in a Sentence

The sheets and blankets are in the hall closet.
He has a closet full of new clothes.

Recent Examples of closet from the Web

Despite whatever goes down the catwalk during Fashion Month, jeans will always have a presence in our closets.

— shilpa prabhakar nadella, Glamour, "The Fall Denim Trends You Haven't Thought of Yet," 31 Aug. 2017
His organization has a medical loan closet of all types of supplies that are typically donated to people in need.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Donations pour in to Bel Air fire company for Harvey victims," 30 Aug. 2017
My tiny closet is crowded with acid-free boxes, shoe trees, and homemade padded hangers and linen garment bags.

— kimberly chrisman-campbell, The Atlantic, "Confessions of a Costume Curator," 18 Aug. 2017
And then there was the education gleaned from Mom’s closet.

— leena kim, Town & Country, "For the New Potato's Laura and Danielle Kosann, Style and Substance Run in the Family," 17 Aug. 2017
Beds, closets and desks were all empty, but the ghosts of thousands of boys were everywhere.

— jim stingl, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Photos: Carmelite Home for Boys changes mission after 100 years," 29 July 2017
A man walked into a storage closet at a Miami apartment building, loaded up a shopping cart with items including a power drill and a computer, and walked away.

— carli teproff, miamiherald, "Man loads shopping cart with items that aren’t his. Police are now using video to find him," 25 July 2017
This time-saving prep will prevent you from emptying out your whole closet or forgetting something crucial.

— jane sung, Teen Vogue, "How to Pack Any Bag in 15 Minutes," 20 July 2017
Lena Dunham will be auctioning off the contents of her closet — and the proceeds of the sales will benefit Planned Parenthood.

— avery matera, Glamour, "Lena Dunham Is Selling Her Wardrobe—and All Proceeds Go To Planned Parenthood," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'closet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of closet

Middle English, from Anglo-French closett, diminutive of clos enclosure — more at close

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

closet Synonyms

Synonyms

cuddy, cupboard, pantry, press

Related Words

ambry [chiefly British dialect], buttery [chiefly dialect], larder, spence [chiefly British dialect]; cloakroom, coatroom, garderobe, vestiary, wardrobe

Other Furniture and Woodworking Terms

appoint, credenza, mission, settee

closet

verb

Definition of closet

transitive verb

1 :to shut up in or as if in a closet

2 :to take into a closet for a secret interview

See closet defined for English-language learners

Examples of closet in a Sentence

He closeted himself in his apartment for several days.
he closeted himself in his study, vowing not to emerge until he had finished the term paper

Recent Examples of closet from the Web

While there is no room for storage upstairs in the bedroom, David carved out a walk-in that will do double duty as a pantry and clothes closet downstairs off the living room.

— susan langenhennig, NOLA.com, "Intrigued by tiny houses? Check out this Folsom 'mini barn'," 19 July 2017
He was deeply closeted and seemed profoundly unhappy.

— richard deitsch, SI.com, "LGBTQ media members discuss their experiences, future, Ryan O’Callaghan and more," 25 June 2017
BuzzFeed asked Bella Thorne for her advice for girls who are fully or partially closeted, and her response is so wise.

— hannah orenstein, Seventeen, "Bella Thorne's Advice About Coming Out Is So On Point," 26 May 2017

First Known Use of closet

1595

closet Synonyms

Synonyms

box (in), cage, enclose, coop (up), corral, encage, encase, envelop, fence (in), hedge, hem (in), house, immure, include, mew (up), pen, wall (in)

Related Words

bound, circumscribe, confine, contain, limit, restrict; encircle, encompass, enfold, enframe, enlace, frame, ring, surround; armor, cocoon, encapsulate, encapsule, encyst, ensheathe, ensphere, enwomb

closet

adjective

Definition of closet

1 :closely private

2 :working in or suited to the closet as the place of seclusion or study :theoretical

3 :being so in private

a closet racist

See closet defined for English-language learners

Examples of closet in a Sentence

Some people think he's a closet homosexual.

First Known Use of closet

circa 1615

CLOSET Defined for English Language Learners

closet

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noun

Definition of closet for English Language Learners

: a usually small room that is used for storing things (such as clothing, towels, or dishes)
: a state in which someone will not talk about something or admit something; especially : a state in which someone will not admit being a homosexual

closet

verb

Definition of closet for English Language Learners

: to put (yourself) in a room in order to be alone
: to bring (someone) into a room in order to talk privately

closet

adjective

Definition of closet for English Language Learners

: hiding the fact that you are a particular type of person

CLOSET Defined for Kids

closet

play

noun clos·et \ ˈklä-zət \

Definition of closet for Students

:a small room for clothing or for supplies for the house

a clothes closet

Learn More about closet

See words that rhyme with closet Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for closet Spanish Central: Translation of closet Nglish: Translation of closet for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of closet for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about closet

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closet Synonyms

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Other Furniture and Woodworking Terms

closet

Definition of closet

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closet Synonyms

Synonyms

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closet

Definition of closet

Examples of closet in a Sentence

First Known Use of closet

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CLOSET Defined for English Language Learners

closet

Definition of closet for English Language Learners

closet

Definition of closet for English Language Learners

closet

Definition of closet for English Language Learners

CLOSET Defined for Kids

closet

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