closed
/kləʊzd/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
- 1.
Not open, or shut so that you cannot go in, look inside, or pass through. It can also mean a place, shop, or business is not operating.
- The shop is closed today.
- Keep the door closed at night.
- The museum stayed closed for repairs.
- 2.
Used after a noun to describe a group, set, or system that does not allow outside people or new members.
- It was a closed meeting.
- They run a closed group online.
- The country has a closed economy.
verb
Past tense and past participle of close.
- She closed the window quietly.
- The office closed at six.
- He closed his laptop and left.
Adinary Nuance
Closed is the opposite of open, but it is more specific than shut in some contexts. Use closed for doors, shops, meetings, and systems; shut often sounds a little more everyday or direct. In business and academic English, closed is the safer choice for formal writing.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đóng
- Spanish
- cerrado
- Chinese
- 关闭的
- Japanese
- 閉じた
- Korean
- 닫힌
Etymology
Closed comes from Old French clore and Latin claudere, meaning “to shut.” It has been used in English since the Middle Ages.
Common phrases
closed doorclosed shopclosed meetingclosed circuit
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between closed and shut?
- Both mean not open. Closed is more common in formal writing and for businesses or meetings.
- Can I say a shop is closed?
- Yes. It means the shop is not open for customers now.
- Is closed an adjective or a verb?
- It is usually an adjective. It is also the past tense of close.
- What does closed mean in a closed meeting?
- It means only selected people can attend. The public cannot enter.