closure
gb/klˈoʊʒɚ/ us/klˈoʊʒɚ/
B1
English
~ 7200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
state
1
emotional resolution after something painful
The calm feeling you have when you can accept a bad or sad event and stop thinking about it all the time.
Usage pattern:
to get/find [closure] after [event]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *make a closure* or *do a closure* when they mean *get closure* or *find closure*. Also, they may use *closure* to mean simply *end*, as in *the closure of the movie*, which sounds odd unless talking about emotional resolution.
Synonyms
resolution (Emphasizes the solving or settling of something; not always emotional.)
|
acceptance (Focuses more on agreeing to reality than on finishing an emotional process.)
Antonyms
uncertainty (Highlights not knowing or not being sure, which often prevents emotional closure.)
|
unresolved feelings (Shows that emotions about the event are still active and not settled.)
Collocations
get closure
|find closure
|need closure
|a sense of closure
|bring closure
|lack of closure
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|mental_health
Examples
- She needed closure after the sudden end of their relationship.
- Talking to his old boss finally gave him closure about why he was fired.
- The family said the trial brought them some closure, even though they still felt sad.
- Without a goodbye, it's hard to get closure and move on.
- Visiting the crash site helped him find closure after the accident.
Learner examples
- After the breakup, he talked to his ex to get closure.
- The letter from her father gave her closure.
- They want closure, so they ask many questions about the accident.
- I need closure before I can start a new relationship.
- The truth helped her find closure.
Noun
B1
event
2
temporary closing of a place or route
When a road, shop, office, or service is closed for a time and people cannot use it.
Usage pattern:
[temporary] closure of [place/service]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *closing* instead of *closure* in news-style phrases, saying *a road closing* where *a road closure* is more natural. They may also say *the road is in closure*, which is incorrect; say *the road is closed* or *there is a road closure*.
Synonyms
shutdown (Can be temporary or permanent and often sounds more serious or large-scale.)
|
blockage (Focuses on something physically blocking movement, especially on roads.)
Antonyms
opening (Refers to making a place or service available again after it was closed.)
|
reopening (Specifically the action of opening again after a closure.)
Collocations
road closure
|temporary closure
|lane closure
|border closure
|airport closure
|closure of the highway
Themes
daily_life
|travel
|public_services
|transportation
Examples
- A road closure near the bridge caused long delays this morning.
- The restaurant announced a two-week closure for renovations.
- Airport closures due to fog disrupted hundreds of flights.
- The sudden closure of the border left many travelers stranded.
- Lane closures will be in place while the bridge is being repaired.
Learner examples
- There is a road closure on the main street today.
- The store will have a short closure for cleaning.
- Because of the storm, there was a bridge closure.
- The school closure will last for three days.
- We were late because of a highway closure.
Noun
B2
event
3
permanent shutting down of an organization
When a company, school, or other place stops working or doing business for good.
Usage pattern:
[permanent] closure of [organization]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes mix up *closing* and *closure*, saying *the closing of the factory* in news or business style where *the closure of the factory* is more common and concise. *Closing* is fine in everyday speech, but *closure* sounds more formal and is frequent in news writing.
Synonyms
shutdown (Similar meaning, but sometimes more technical or used for machines and systems too.)
|
closure of operations (Longer, more formal phrase often used in official statements.)
Antonyms
opening (Refers to starting a new business or institution.)
|
launch (Emphasizes the start of operations, especially for new businesses or services.)
Collocations
factory closure
|store closure
|school closure
|branch closure
|company closure
|mass closures
Themes
business
|economy
|education
|work
Examples
- The factory closure will result in the loss of 300 jobs.
- Parents are protesting the planned closure of the local primary school.
- Several bank branch closures have been announced this year.
- The sudden closure of the company left employees shocked and angry.
- The report blames the store closures on rising rents and online competition.
Learner examples
- The closure of the plant was bad for the town.
- Many people lost their jobs after the factory closure.
- They are worried about the closure of the hospital.
- The company closure was on the news.
- The school closure will affect many families.
Noun
formal
B2
action
4
formal ending of a process
The official end of a talk, meeting, or investigation.
Usage pattern:
closure of [discussion/investigation/case]
Common mistake:
Learners may use *closure* where *close* or *end* is more natural in speech, for example *We must reach closure of this homework* instead of *We must finish this homework* or *We must bring this homework to an end*. This sense of *closure* is mostly used for formal processes like meetings, cases, and investigations.
Synonyms
conclusion (Very close in meaning; slightly broader and more common in both formal and informal styles.)
|
termination (More formal and sometimes harsher, often used in legal or contractual contexts.)
Antonyms
continuation (Focuses on something going on instead of being brought to an end.)
|
extension (Emphasizes giving more time rather than ending a process.)
Collocations
closure of the investigation
|closure of the case
|closure of the meeting
|move towards closure
|seek closure on the issue
|bring the matter to closure
Themes
law
|business
|administration
|work
Examples
- The committee hopes for closure of the negotiations by the end of June.
- Police announced the closure of the case after finding no new evidence.
- We are moving toward closure on this matter and will report our final decision tomorrow.
- The judge called for closure of the hearing after both sides had spoken.
- There has been little progress toward closure of the long-running dispute.
Learner examples
- The closure of the case took many years.
- They want closure of the talks this week.
- The meeting ended with the closure of the debate.
- We hope for closure of this problem soon.
- The report will bring closure of the investigation.
Noun
technical
C1
action
5
parliamentary motion to end debate
In a parliament or formal meeting, a special rule or vote that stops people from talking more so they can vote.
Usage pattern:
to move/put [the] closure on [debate]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense is about emotional closure, but in politics it refers to a specific rule to stop debate. It is not used in everyday conversations about feelings.
Synonyms
cloture (A closely related term, especially in U.S. contexts, for limiting debate in a legislative body.)
Antonyms
open debate (Refers to allowing discussion to continue without limiting it by closure.)
Collocations
move closure
|closure motion
|to apply closure
|debate under closure
|call for closure
Themes
politics
|law
Examples
- The government moved closure to end the filibuster in the chamber.
- After hours of repetitive speeches, the opposition demanded closure on the bill.
- The speaker refused to accept the closure motion, saying debate had not yet been sufficient.
Learner examples
- The parliament used closure to stop the long debate.
- A member asked for closure so they could vote.
- The closure motion ended the discussion on the law.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
6
topological closure of a set
In higher math, a new set you make by taking a set and adding any limit points so that the new set is closed.
Usage pattern:
closure of [set] in [space]
Common mistake:
Students sometimes confuse *closure* with *closed set*. The closure of a set is another set built from the original one; it is not just the property of being closed.
Synonyms
topological closure (More explicit technical term; same mathematical idea but specifies the branch of math.)
Antonyms
interior (In topology, the largest open set contained in a given set, often contrasted with closure.)
Collocations
topological closure
|closure of A
|closure operator
|under closure
|take the closure
Themes
mathematics
|science
|education
Examples
- The closure of this set includes all of its limit points.
- In this metric space, the closure of A is equal to the union of A and its boundary.
- Taking the closure of a set is an idempotent operation in topology.
Learner examples
- In topology class, we learned how to find the closure of a set.
- The closure of A is written with a bar over the letter.
- The closure of this set is closed and contains the set.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
7
function plus its captured environment
In programming, a function that remembers values from the place where it was created, even when used later in another place.
Usage pattern:
to create/use [a] closure
Common mistake:
New programmers sometimes think a closure is just any inner function. In fact, it is an inner function that actually uses and remembers variables from its outer scope.
Synonyms
function object (Related idea in some languages; emphasizes that the function is a value, but does not always imply captured variables.)
Antonyms
pure function (A function with no captured outer state, often contrasted with closures that use external variables.)
Collocations
create a closure
|use a closure
|JavaScript closure
|anonymous function closure
|lexical closure
Themes
technology
|computer_science
|education
Examples
- In JavaScript, each time the function runs it returns a new closure.
- Closures allow the inner function to access variables defined in the outer function.
- Memory leaks can occur if a closure keeps unnecessary references to large objects.
Learner examples
- A closure lets your function remember outside variables.
- In this code, the inner function is a closure.
- Many modern languages support closures.
- We use a closure here to hide the internal state.
- He watched a video to learn how closures work in JavaScript.
Noun
B2
action
8
act of closing an opening or gap
The action of making an open space, like a cut or hole, closed or covered.
Usage pattern:
[wound/gap] closure
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with emotional *closure*. In medical or scientific texts, *closure* usually refers to a physical or structural process, not feelings.
Synonyms
sealing (Focuses on making something completely closed so nothing can pass through.)
|
repair (More general; implies fixing damage, not just closing an opening.)
Antonyms
opening (Opposite action: making or leaving something open.)
Collocations
wound closure
|surgical closure
|defect closure
|gap closure
|skin closure
|closure of the incision
Themes
medicine
|science
|health
|body
Examples
- The surgeon performed careful wound closure to reduce scarring.
- Rapid closure of the incision helps lower the risk of infection.
- The report focuses on gap closure in early childhood education.
- Engineers recommended closure of the crack before it spread further.
- New techniques have improved the closure of heart defects in infants.
Learner examples
- The doctor checked the closure of the cut.
- Good wound closure helps the skin heal.
- They used stitches for the closure of the incision.
- The closure of the hole stopped the leak.
- The study looked at closure of learning gaps.
Grammar
Dictionary form
closure
IPA
GB/klˈoʊʒɚ/
US/klˈoʊʒɚ/
Syllables & stress
clos - ure (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (clos)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: closure
- Plural: closure, closures
Word family
Expressions
a sense of closure
1/ə sˈɛns əv klˈoʊʒɚ/
fixed phrase
feeling that something is emotionally finished
The feeling that something sad or difficult is finally finished in your mind and heart.
Examples
- The ceremony gave everyone a sense of closure.
- Without answers, it's hard for the families to feel a sense of closure.
- Writing the letter brought her a sense of closure.
bring closure to
1/bɹˈɪŋ klˈoʊʒɚ tə/
fixed phrase
cause emotional closure for someone
To help a person or group finally accept a sad or painful event and stop feeling stuck in it.
Examples
- The verdict helped bring closure to the victim's family.
- Finding the missing plane would at least bring closure to the relatives.
- A final conversation might bring closure to both of you.
get closure
1/ɡˈɛt klˈoʊʒɚ/
fixed phrase
achieve emotional acceptance about something
To finally feel okay about a bad or sad event so that you can move on with your life.
Examples
- He said he needed to talk to her one last time to get closure.
- The apology helped her get closure after years of anger.
- Watching the documentary helped the victims get closure.