closure

12 synonyms and 1 antonym for closure, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — The permanent or temporary shutting of a place or operation.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

ending conclusion resolution close block closing

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

shutdown termination

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

closedown blockage occlusion cloture

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

The permanent or temporary shutting of a place or operation.

“Heavy snow forced the closure of the school for two days.”

shutdown ending conclusion resolution termination close block closedown closing blockage occlusion cloture

2. noun

A feeling of emotional resolution after a difficult experience.

“Talking to her old teacher gave her a sense of closure.”

Opposites

uncertainty

How to use closure

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

emotional closure store closure seek closure

Etymology

From Old French closure, going back to Latin claudere, "to close" — a doublet of "clause" and "cloture."

Full origin of closure →

Frequently asked questions

What does “closure” mean?

The word “closure” means the permanent or temporary shutting of a place or operation. In plain terms, something coming to a definite end — a shop shutting down, a case being resolved, or the emotional sense of moving on.

How do you pronounce “closure”?

“Closure” is pronounced KLOH-zhuh (/ˈkloʊ.ʒɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “closure” in a sentence?

Here is “closure” used in a sentence: “The factory closure put two hundred people out of work.”

What part of speech is “closure”?

“Closure” is a noun.

Where does the word “closure” come from?

The word “closure” comes from Latin. From Old French closure, going back to Latin claudere, "to close" — a doublet of "clause" and "cloture.".

Is “closure” a common word?

“Closure” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “closure” have?

“Closure” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the permanent or temporary shutting of a place or operation.

What is the difference between "closure" and "closing"?

"Closing" usually describes the act or process of shutting something ("the closing of the shop"), while "closure" names the resulting state or a permanent shutdown ("the factory's closure"). "Closure" also carries an emotional sense that "closing" does not.

What prepositions are used with "closure"?

Common patterns are "closure of" for shutting something down ("the closure of the road") and getting "closure on" something for the emotional sense ("closure on the relationship").

Is "closure" countable or uncountable?

It depends on the sense. As a shutdown it is countable ("a series of closures"), while in the emotional sense it is uncountable ("she needed closure").

People also searched

close block ending resolution conclusion closing uncertainty termination shutdown occlusion closedown blockage

Nearby words

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