closure
KLOH-zhuh
Closure (noun) means the permanent or temporary shutting of a place or operation. Example: “Heavy snow forced the closure of the school for two days.”
noun
1
The permanent or temporary shutting of a place or operation.
"Heavy snow forced the closure of the school for two days."
"The closure of the village post office upset many residents."
"The factory closure put two hundred people out of work."
2
A feeling of emotional resolution after a difficult experience.
"Talking to her old teacher gave her a sense of closure."
"He needed closure after the friendship ended so suddenly."
"Attending the trial gave the family a sense of closure years after the crime."
3
A fastener or device that seals something shut, such as a bottle cap.
"The jar's closure was so tight that I needed a cloth to open it."
"Check that the zip closure on your bag is fully fastened."
"The bottle uses a simple screw-top closure."
How to use closure
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething coming to a definite end — a shop shutting down, a case being resolved, or the emotional sense of moving on.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
emotional closure
store closure
seek closure
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like closure.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- closures
- Third person singular
- closures
- Past tense
- closured
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Heavy snow forced the _____ of the school for two days.
Etymology
From Old French closure, going back to Latin claudere, "to close" — a doublet of "clause" and "cloture."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for closure
See all rhymes for 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").
