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Enclose vs Enclosure - What's the difference?

enclose | enclosure |

As a verb enclose

is to surround with a wall, fence, etc.

As a noun enclosure is

something enclosed, i.e. inserted into a letter or similar package.

enclose

English

Alternative forms

* (l)

Verb

(enclos)
  • To surround with a wall, fence, etc.
  • To insert into a container, usually an envelope or package.
  • To hold or contain.

    • Usage notes

    * Until about 1820, it was common to spell this word, and the derived terms encloser'' and ''enclosure'', with ''in-'' (i.e. as ''inclose'', ''incloser'', ''inclosure''). Since 1820, the forms with ''en- have predominated.[//books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=enclose%2Cinclose%2Cencloser%2Cincloser%2Cenclosure%2Cinclosure&year_start=1650&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cenclose%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cinclose%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cencloser%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cincloser%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cenclosure%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cinclosure%3B%2Cc0 Google Books Ngram Data]

    See also

    * encircle * encloser * enclosable

    References

    enclosure

    English

    (wikipedia enclosure)

    Alternative forms

    * inclosure

    Noun

  • (countable) Something enclosed, i.e. inserted into a letter or similar package.
    • There was an enclosure with the letter — a photo.
  • (uncountable) The act of enclosing, i.e. the insertion or inclusion of an item in a letter or package.
    • ''The enclosure of a photo with your letter is appreciated.
  • (countable) An area, domain, or amount of something partially or entirely enclosed by barriers.
    • He faced punishment for creating the fenced enclosure in a public park.
    The glass enclosure holds the mercury vapor.
    The winning horse was first into the unsaddling enclosure .
  • (uncountable) The act of separating and surrounding an area, domain, or amount of something with a barrier.
    • The enclosure of public land is against the law.
    The experiment requires the enclosure of mercury vapor in a glass tube.
    At first, untrained horses resist enclosure .
  • (uncountable, British History) The post-feudal process of subdivision of common lands for individual ownership.
    • Strip-farming disappeared after enclosure .
  • The area of a convent, monastery, etc where access is restricted to community members.

    • Usage notes

    * For more on the spelling of this word, see (m).