enclosure

The word “enclosure” means an area surrounded by a fence, wall, or other barrier. In plain terms, a fenced-off area, or an item sent along with a letter.

“Enclosure” is pronounced ihn-KLOH-zhuh (/ɛnˈkloʊʒəɹ/ in IPA).

Here is “enclosure” used in a sentence: “The zoo built a larger enclosure for the elephants.”

“Enclosure” is a noun.

The word “enclosure” comes from Latin. From Old French enclosure, from enclore ("to enclose"), from Latin includere.

“Enclosure” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Enclosure” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an area surrounded by a fence, wall, or other barrier.

A fence is a single barrier, while an enclosure is the entire area surrounded by a fence, wall, or other barrier. In other words, a fence can form part of an enclosure, but the enclosure refers to the whole bounded space, such as an animal pen or a garden plot.

In correspondence, an enclosure is a document or item included along with a letter, such as an invoice, brochure, or form. Writers often note this with the abbreviation "Enc." or "Enclosure" at the bottom of the letter to flag that something extra is attached.

Enclosure can also refer to the act of fencing off land that was previously open, a practice with significant historical importance in land ownership disputes. In this sense it describes the process of converting shared or common land into privately bounded plots.