enclose

enclose — verb

1. To put a wall, fence, or other type of barrier all around an area so that it is

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

To put a wall, fence, or other type of barrier all around an area so that it is separated from the land or space that surrounds it.

Example

The garden was enclosed by a tall brick wall that blocked out the street noise.

passive: be enclosed by [barrier]

Jin's family decided to enclose the backyard with a wooden fence for more privacy.

enclose + [area] + with + [barrier]

Synonyms
  • surround

    Broader and more common; can describe anything being all around something, not necessarily blocked off by a barrier (e.g. 'crowds surrounded the singer').

  • encircle

    Emphasises a circular formation around something, often used in military or poetic contexts (e.g. 'troops encircled the camp').

  • confine

    Stronger sense of restriction or imprisonment; suggests the subject cannot leave (e.g. 'confine an animal in a cage').

Antonyms
  • open

    As a verb — to remove barriers or make an area accessible (e.g. 'open the courtyard to the public').

Grammar Patterns

enclose + noun (object)

be enclosed + in/by/within + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive voice. The subject of the sentence is typically the barrier (wall, fence, hedge) or the enclosing structure; the object is the area being surrounded.

Common Mistakes

The report encloses all the data we collected.
The report includes all the data we collected.
'enclose' means to physically surround with a barrier, not to contain as part of a collection.
Mountains enclose the lake from all sides.
Mountains surround the lake from all sides.
'surround' is more natural for natural landscape features; 'enclose' suggests a man-made barrier or intentional enclosure.

2. To put something inside an envelope or package together with a letter or another

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

To put something inside an envelope or package together with a letter or another item you are sending, so that the recipient receives them all at once.

Example

Adina enclosed a recent photograph with her thank-you letter to her grandparents.

enclose + [item] + with + [letter]

Please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope when you mail your application form.

imperative: Please enclose [item]

Synonyms
  • include

    More general and less formal; works for any kind of content (e.g. 'include a photo in your email').

  • insert

    Focuses on the physical act of putting something into a space (e.g. 'insert the card into the slot').

Antonyms
  • omit

    To leave something out intentionally or unintentionally (e.g. 'omit the cheque from the envelope').

Grammar Patterns

enclose + noun + in/with + noun phrase

be enclosed + with + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common in formal and business correspondence. The set phrase 'Please find enclosed…' (e.g. 'Please find enclosed a copy of my CV') is a standard opening in official letters, though it can sound old-fashioned in casual email.

Common Mistakes

I enclosed the letter to the package.
I enclosed the letter with the package.' or 'I enclosed the letter in the package.
use 'with' (alongside) or 'in' (inside), not 'to'.
She enclosed the document and the envelope.
She enclosed the document in the envelope.
the document goes inside the envelope; the envelope is the container, not another item being included.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe putting something inside a boundary, but they differ in how that boundary works. 'Surround' is the most general — it just means being all around something, with or without a physical barrier ('trees surround the house'). 'Enclose' specifically implies a structure or barrier that closes off the area, often man-made ('a fence encloses the school playground'). 'Encircle' carries a sense of circular formation and is common in military or geometric descriptions ('the army encircled the fort'). 'Confine' is tighter and more restrictive, often suggesting the thing inside cannot leave ('confine the dog to the yard'). Use 'enclose' when the focus is on the barrier itself or the act of separating an area from its surroundings.

enclose ↗surround ↗encircleconfine ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • enclose in
  • enclose with

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'enclose' entered English through Old French 'enclore', which came from Latin 'includere' — a combination of 'in-' (in) and 'claudere' (to shut, to close). The original Latin meaning was 'to shut in', and that idea of closing something within a boundary has carried through to both modern senses: the physical act of surrounding an area, and the act of putting something inside an envelope or package.