closet

noun

clos·et | \ ˈklä-zət

, ˈklȯ-\

Definition of closet

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

closet

verb

closeted; closeting; closets

Definition of closet (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

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

2 : to take into a closet for a secret interview

closet

adjective

Definition of closet (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from closet Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about closet

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Examples of closet in a Sentence

Noun

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

Verb

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

Adjective

Some people think he's a closet homosexual.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

On a recent winter afternoon, Mr. Roth’s shoes were still at his bedside, his sweaters were neatly folded in the closet and his toothbrush sat in its cup on the bathroom sink. — Candace Taylor, WSJ, "Philip Roth’s Manhattan Home Goes on the Market for $3.2 Million," 21 Feb. 2019 Netflix's Tidying Up with Marie Kondo may have ridiculously banal content—watching people clean out their closets and drawers—but the emotional toll of letting go is a surprisingly moving experience. — Lonnie Firestone, Glamour, "It Took a Fire in My Building to Understand Marie Kondo's Method," 15 Jan. 2019 In the master suite, there’s a walk-in closet and a rain shower with a floral design on mosaic tile. — Jack Flemming, The Seattle Times, "Flashy Miami penthouse from ‘War Dogs’ aims for $4.5 million," 22 Oct. 2018 Add those in-demand sneakers to the Hermés bag that mom is keeping safe for her in the closet, and Stormi has a wardrobe that any of us should be jealous of. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Kylie Jenner Says Baby Daughter Stormi Webster Will be Walking Soon, and the Picture Is Adorable," 21 Sep. 2018 Amazon Prime Day 2018 is finally here, which means that Prime members everywhere are readying their closets and fingertips for awesome savings on just about everything. — Tiffany Dodson, SELF, "The Best Amazon Prime Day Fitness Sales Right Now," 16 July 2018 Set in the 1960s and ’70s, the story is about the lengths Thorpe would go to in order to stay in the closet. — Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "Hugh Grant does justice to ‘A Very English Scandal’," 11 July 2018 After a disappointing finish in the Web.com Tour qualifying school last fall, Schachner put his golf clubs in the closet. — Jon J. Kerr, chicagotribune.com, "Libertyville's Michael Schachner keeps chasing golf success one round at a time," 11 June 2018 The wood floor was imported from Spain, the front door was imported from Europe and there may be a she-wolf in the closet. — Rene Rodriguez, miamiherald, "Shakira is selling her Miami Beach home for $11.6 million," 1 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Terrified and in agony over her closeted life, J.J. attempted suicide, and the entire game is a sort of near-death fever dream where J.J.’s identity swims between liminal spaces — closeted and out, alive and dead, whole and in literal pieces. — Julie Muncy, The Verge, "This queer horror game forces you to literally tear yourself apart," 8 Nov. 2018 Without much money for TV commercials, that’s one way Allen can gain traction in California’s liberal territory: word-of-mouth from one closeted conservative to another. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicle’s senior political writer. — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, "Closeted conservatives come out in the Bay Area to campaign for a Republican," 26 Apr. 2018 Historically, gay bars have been side-street hideaways, architecturally closeted warrens of secrecy. — Richard Morgan, New York Times, "The Inevitable Rise of the Gay Hooters," 21 June 2018 Always be mindful of how your office conversations could affect a closeted or more reticent coworker. — Nick Levine, GQ, "How to Be Gay at Work," 14 June 2018 By the end of the day, the homeless women had met their new roommates, signed their rental agreements, washed and closeted their clothes and fought back tears reading the welcome notes waiting for them on their new beds. — Doug Smith, latimes.com, "A Venice couple is housing homeless people, one small building at a time," 8 June 2018 Montour, who grew up in Worcester and was closeted until age 40, now has a large group of friends. — Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "Gay boomers look ahead to an old age colored by uncertainty and the help of friends," 9 June 2018 For Berlanti, who is openly gay himself and grew up closeted until his early 20s, the film is a labor of love. — Rob Ledonne, Billboard, "'Love, Simon' Music, From Deep Cuts to Surprise Global Hits," 16 Mar. 2018 Beyond the decision to stay closeted, Play to Win also found that LGBTQ youth participate in sports at a much lower rate than other teens. — Nyssa Kruse, courant.com, "LGBTQ Youth Fear Discrimination in Sports, UConn Research Says," 21 June 2018

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.