walled

walled — adjective

1. enclosed by walls of stone, brick, or concrete, usually for protection, privacy,

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

enclosed by walls of stone, brick, or concrete, usually for protection, privacy, or decoration.

Example

The ancient walled city of Ávila in Spain draws visitors from around the world with its original Roman walls.

walled city — common collocation for historical towns

Imran's grandmother lives in a walled compound with iron gates and a guard.

walled compound — common for private residential estates

Common collocations
  • walled city
  • walled garden
  • walled compound
  • walled courtyard
  • walled town
  • walled fortress
  • walled estate
  • walled enclosure
Synonyms
  • enclosed

    Broader meaning — can refer to any type of barrier (fence, hedge, walls). 'Walled' specifically means made of stone, brick, or concrete.

  • fortified

    Stronger meaning — implies defensive walls built for military protection. 'Walled' can be decorative or protective.

  • walled-in

    Emphasises complete enclosure on all sides. Often carries a slight sense of being trapped or confined.

Antonyms
  • open

    Describes a space without any surrounding barrier.

Grammar Patterns

walled + noun

Usage Note

Typically used before a noun to describe a place or building that has walls around it. The walls are usually made of stone, brick, or concrete and serve a practical purpose such as security or defining a boundary.

Common Mistakes

They visited the walled of the castle.
They visited the walled castle.
'walled' is an adjective and must directly precede the noun it describes, not be followed by 'of'.
The garden walled is very old.
The walled garden is very old.
When used as an adjective, 'walled' normally comes before the noun, not after it.

Word family

  • wall
    nounA2
  • wall
    verbB1
  • walling
    nounC1
  • wall-less
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Walled', 'enclosed', 'fortified', and 'walled-in' all describe spaces with something built around them, but they differ in material and purpose. 'Walled' is the most specific about the barrier being made of stone, brick, or concrete — a walled garden has actual walls, not a hedge. 'Enclosed' is the broadest term: a garden can be enclosed by a fence, a hedge, a wall, or even a building. 'Fortified' adds the idea of military defence — fortified walls are thick, high, and designed to resist attack, whereas a walled city might simply have old decorative walls. 'Walled-in' emphasises complete surrounding on all sides, sometimes with a negative feeling of being trapped ('a walled-in prison yard'). For everyday description of a historic town or private garden, 'walled' is the most neutral and accurate choice. For example, you would say 'the walled garden of the hotel' (not fortified), and 'the walled city of Xi'an' (where the walls are a famous feature, not just any enclosure).

walled ↗enclosedfortifiedwalled-in

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

'Walled' is the past-participle adjective of the verb 'wall', which comes from Old English 'weallian' (to build a wall). The noun 'wall' traces back through Old English 'weall' to Latin 'vallum' (a rampart or defensive earthwork), from 'vallus' (a stake or post). The form 'walled' has been used as an adjective describing enclosed places since the 14th century.