closed

closed — adjective

1. A door, container, or other object that is in a position that blocks entry, exit

1.adjectiveA1
Definition

A door, container, or other object that is in a position that blocks entry, exit, or access — for example, a window that has been shut or a box whose lid has been put on.

Example

The door was closed, so Leila knocked before going inside.

passive: was closed

Please keep the window closed when the rain comes.

keep + object + closed

Common collocations
  • closed door
  • closed window
  • closed eyes
  • closed mouth
  • closed lid
  • closed gate
  • keep closed
  • remain closed
Synonyms
  • shut

    equally common and interchangeable for doors, windows, and containers; slightly more direct

  • locked

    implies a key or latch was used, adding a sense of security

  • sealed

    suggests an airtight or official closure, as with envelopes or containers

Antonyms
  • open

    the direct opposite in every context

Grammar Patterns

be + closed

keep + object + closed

Usage Note

Often used with be (was closed) or keep (keep closed). Commonly describes doors, windows, eyes, mouths, lids, gates, and containers.

Common Mistakes

The door was closed shut.
The door was closed.' or 'The door was shut.
'closed shut' is redundant since both words describe the same state.

2. A shop, bank, library, or other place that people visit is not available for cus

2.adjectiveA1
Definition

A shop, bank, library, or other place that people visit is not available for customers or visitors to enter, usually because of the time of day, a holiday, or a day of the week.

Example

The library is closed on Sundays, so Noa went to the park.

be closed on [day of week]

A sign on the shop door said it was closed for the day.

closed for [reason/period]

Common collocations
  • closed for business
  • closed for the day
  • closed on Sundays
  • closed during the holidays
  • remain closed
Synonyms
  • shut

    used interchangeably for businesses, especially in British English ('the pub is shut')

Antonyms
  • open

    the direct opposite

Grammar Patterns

be + closed

closed for + noun

closed on + day

Usage Note

Used predicatively for most situations (the shop is closed). Attributive use (a closed shop) is less common but acceptable. The opposite is 'open' with the same grammar pattern.

Common Mistakes

The shop is closing on Sundays.' (when meaning it is not open at all on Sundays)
The shop is closed on Sundays.
'closing' describes the action of shutting; 'closed' describes the state of being unavailable for business.

3. A discussion, argument, legal case, or other matter that has been finished and i

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

A discussion, argument, legal case, or other matter that has been finished and is no longer available for further debate, change, or reconsideration.

Example

After the vote, the matter was closed and no one talked about it again.

the matter is closed

The judge said the case was closed and could not be looked at again.

Common collocations
  • closed case
  • closed matter
  • closed subject
  • closed topic
  • closed deal
  • the matter is closed
Synonyms
  • finished

    more general and less formal; works for any completed activity

  • concluded

    more formal; often used in official or written contexts

  • settled

    implies an agreement was reached, especially for disputes

Antonyms
  • open

    an open case or open question is still being discussed

  • ongoing

    still continuing or in progress

Grammar Patterns

the matter is closed

case/subject/topic + be + closed

Usage Note

Frequently predicative (the matter is closed). Can also appear attributively before a noun (a closed case, a closed subject). Common collocates: case, matter, topic, subject, issue, deal.

Common Mistakes

The finished book on my shelf is a closed matter.' (when meaning the book is done)
Once we signed the contract, the deal was closed.
This sense applies only to discussions, decisions, and legal matters, not to completed physical objects.

4. A person, group, or community that is unwilling to consider new ideas, different

4.adjectiveC2
Definition

A person, group, or community that is unwilling to consider new ideas, different ways of living, or people from outside their own circle — for example, a small village that keeps out unfamiliar customs.

Example

The small town stayed closed to new ideas, and few changes were ever made.

closed to [new ideas / outsiders]

The professor's closed way of thinking made it hard for his students to try new methods.

closed + [thinking / mind / attitude]

Common collocations
  • closed mind
  • closed attitude
  • closed to change
  • closed to outsiders
  • closed society
  • closed community
Synonyms
  • narrow-minded

    more common in everyday speech; carries stronger negative judgment

  • insular

    more formal; typically describes communities or groups, not individuals

  • rigid

    focuses on unwillingness to bend or adapt rather than on rejection of outside influence

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

closed to + noun

closed mind / closed attitude

Usage Note

Often followed by the preposition to when specifying what is rejected (closed to change, closed to outsiders). Commonly describes communities, institutions, organizations, and people in authority. The attributive use (closed mind, closed attitude) is very common.

Common Mistakes

She has a closed mind about trying new foods.' (informal, partially acceptable)
She is closed to the idea of trying new foods.
The adjective collocates more naturally with 'to' + noun phrase than with 'about'.

5. A question that is designed so that the person answering can only reply with a l

5.adjectiveB1
Definition

A question that is designed so that the person answering can only reply with a limited set of choices, most commonly 'yes' or 'no', or by picking one option from a list.

Example

A closed question like 'Do you like tea?' only needs a yes or no answer.

closed question — yes/no format

The teacher used a closed question to check if the students had finished their reading.

Common collocations
  • closed question
  • closed-ended question
  • closed format
Synonyms
  • multiple-choice

    more specific — implies a list of options rather than just yes/no

Antonyms
  • open-ended

    a question that allows a free-form response

Grammar Patterns

closed question

Usage Note

Used only attributively before the noun question. The antonym is 'open question', which requires a fuller response. This sense appears frequently in discussions of surveys, tests, and research methods.

Common Mistakes

That was a close question.' (confusing with 'close' meaning nearby)
That was a closed question.
The -ed ending is essential; without it the meaning changes to 'nearby question'.

6. An event, meeting, or organization that is limited to a specific group of people

6.adjectiveB2
Definition

An event, meeting, or organization that is limited to a specific group of people and not available for the public to attend, join, or observe.

Example

The dinner was closed to anyone who was not a club member.

closed to [restricted group]

Only team leaders could attend the closed meeting in the main office.

Common collocations
  • closed meeting
  • closed session
  • closed event
  • closed to the public
  • closed hearing
  • closed circle
Synonyms
  • private

    emphasizes that the event or information is personal or confidential

  • exclusive

    suggests privilege or selectivity in who is allowed

  • restricted

    more formal; implies an official limitation on access

Antonyms
  • open

    available to everyone; public

Grammar Patterns

closed to + noun

closed meeting / closed session

Usage Note

Often followed by to to specify who is excluded. Common in contexts of private events, membership-based organizations, and confidential legal or government proceedings. Do not confuse with sense 1 (physically shut) — here the restriction is by rule or permission, not by a physical barrier.

Common Mistakes

The park gate was closed to visitors due to snow.' (when meaning physically shut)
The meeting was closed to the public.
Sense 6 means restricted by rule or membership, not temporarily blocked by a physical barrier.
Idioms

behind closed doors

idiom

Happening in private, without the public or media watching.

The committee discussed the budget behind closed doors.

Why did the board meet behind closed doors yesterday?

a closed book (to somebody)

idiom

A topic or person that someone knows nothing about.

Advanced mathematics is a closed book to me.

To the new teacher, the school's history was a closed book.

with your eyes shut/closed

idiom

Doing something very easily, without needing to think.

Sara can solve that puzzle with her eyes closed.

After years of practice, Diego plays the song with his eyes shut.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Shut is the closest synonym and can be used in almost any context where closed appears, though shut can sound slightly more direct or abrupt (Shut the door vs. Close the door). Locked adds the idea of a key or latch securing the object, so it implies security or prevention of entry, not just the state of being shut. Sealed suggests an airtight, adhesive, or official closure — a sealed envelope cannot be opened without breaking the seal, and a sealed deal is final and binding. Fastened involves a physical device such as a button, zipper, buckle, or latch holding something closed, so it is more specific than closed. For example: 'Kofi shut the suitcase but forgot to fasten the buckle, so it sprang open. The lock was broken, so he could not keep it locked. A sealed bag of coffee keeps the beans fresh.'

shut ↗lockedsealedfastened

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • keep closed
  • remain closed
  • stay closed
  • be closed to

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Closed comes from the past participle of the verb close, which entered English through Old French clos (enclosed, confined), from Latin clausus, the past participle of claudere (to shut, close). The adjective form emerged in Middle English by the 14th century, first describing physical objects that were shut, then later extending to abstract meanings such as finished discussions and restricted access by the 16th–17th centuries.