closet

noun clos·et \ ˈklä-zət , ˈklȯ- \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

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

—

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

But given the coming season, there’s perhaps no better time than this Sunday to finally break out some of those springtime classics that have been gathering dust in your closet.

— rachel hahn, Vogue, "It’s Time to Break Out Your Favorite Springtime Classics for Easter," 30 Mar. 2018
After Notre Dame lost to Louisville in the ACC championship game earlier this month, Muffet McGraw went home and checked her closet.

— laken litman, Indianapolis Star, "Leading injury-plagued Notre Dame women to Final Four may be Muffet McGraw's greatest coaching job yet," 29 Mar. 2018
One thing is for sure — my closet was ready to go with all kind of looks.

— stephen daw, Billboard, "'RuPaul's Drag Race:' Eliminated Queen Talks Meeting Christina Aguilera, Her Favorite Local Queen & More," 23 Mar. 2018
Here's how: get the app (for FREE!), upload a pic to your closet... and you're done!

— kelsey stiegman, Seventeen, "5 Ways to Sell Your Prom Dress and Make Major $$$," 16 Mar. 2018
Porter was operating on a temporary security clearance, and there were fears that other staffers with skeletons in their closets could be susceptible to blackmail.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Jared Kushner’s White House Security Clearance Downgraded," 27 Feb. 2018
The 5,000-square-foot master suite and has a sitting rooms, two bathrooms and his and her closets.

— neal j. leitereg, sacbee, "Billionaire Thomas Tull lists a small village in Thousand Oaks for $85 million | The Sacramento Bee," 17 Jan. 2018
Stock your closet with these best-sellers for your most fashionable year of fitness ever.

— julia naftulin, Health.com, "This Is the Most Popular Sneaker of 2018 (So Far)," 12 Jan. 2018
Four years later, Katz, a licensed practical nurse at the hospital, testified in a deposition that a male nursing assistant had shoved her into a linen closet and groped her and subjected her to an onslaught of lewd comments.

— christina jewett, chicagotribune.com, "The #MeToo movement hits the medical field," 25 Mar. 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.

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

closet Synonyms

Synonyms

buffet, cabinet, console, cupboard, hutch, locker, press, sideboard;

dresser, pie safe;

armoire, clothespress, 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

Johnson had spent much of high school closeted and nearly suicidal.

— david freedlander, Daily Intelligencer, "The Man Who Is Glitterbombing New York City Politics," 8 Apr. 2018
There are countless black gay men, both closeted and out, young and old, who carry that heavy load on their shoulders every day.

— gerren keith gaynor, The Root, "Don Lemon Helped Me Come Out to My Mother and It Changed My Life Forever," 3 Apr. 2018
The contrast between the out-and-proud life of young John Sparsholt and his father David’s closeted one defines Hollinghurst’s novel.

— manuel betancourt, Longreads, "Bending the Straight Line of Queer History," 29 Mar. 2018
Still, there is something like love in Cohn’s closeted life.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "“Angels in America”: Brilliant, Maddening, and Necessary," 19 Mar. 2018
But when an anonymous classmate blogs about being gay and closeted, the two build an online relationship.

— jeneé osterheldt, kansascity, "Gay teens are more than flamboyant sidekicks or tragic victims. 'Love, Simon' | The Kansas City Star," 16 Mar. 2018
The fourth and best episode of the season finds the team making over A.J., a black gay man who is still semi-closeted.

— kelly lawler, USA TODAY, "Can Netflix’s ‘Queer Eye’ reboot save America? Probably not, but it’s great TV," 19 Mar. 2018
He was closeted in high school and cultivated a rebel iconoclasm to cope.

— simon van zuylen-wood, Daily Intelligencer, "Does This Man Know More Than Robert Mueller?," 21 Jan. 2018
Some are closeted and want to explore male sexuality.

— elizabeth weiss, Marie Claire, "The Cuckolding Fetish Explained: Why Some Men Actually *Want* to Be Cheated On," 8 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of closet

1595

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

closet Synonyms

Synonyms

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

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

CLOSET Defined for English Language Learners

closet

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

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

Definition of closet

closetful

Examples of closet in a Sentence

Recent Examples of closet from the Web

Origin and Etymology of closet

closet Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Furniture and Woodworking Terms

closet

Definition of closet

Examples of closet in a Sentence

Recent Examples of closet from the Web

First Known Use of closet

closet Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

closet

Definition of closet

Examples of closet in a Sentence

First Known Use of closet

Phrases Related to CLOSET

Related Phrases

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

Definition of closet for Students

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