Home / Dictionary / Closure

Closure Very Common

Origin: Latin suffix -ure

Closure has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

approaching a particular destination; a coming closer; a narrowing of a gap

"the ship's rapid rate of closing gave them little time to avoid a collision"

2

a rule for limiting or ending debate in a deliberative body

"The chairperson invoked closure to end the heated arguments and put the motion to a vote immediately."

3

a Gestalt principle of organization holding that there is an innate tendency to perceive incomplete objects as complete and to close or fill gaps and to perceive asymmetric stimuli as symmetric

"When viewing a circle drawn with a small gap, the brain automatically perceives it as a complete shape due to the closure principle."

4

something settled or resolved; the outcome of decision making

"they finally reached a settlement with the union"

"they never did achieve a final resolution of their differences"

"he needed to grieve before he could achieve a sense of closure"

5

an obstruction in a pipe or tube

"we had to call a plumber to clear out the blockage in the drainpipe"

6

the act of blocking

"The road closure prevented any vehicles from leaving the city after the accident."

7

termination of operations

"they regretted the closure of the day care center"

8

An event or occurrence that signifies an ending.

"The demolition of the old factory marked a painful closure for the entire community."

In plain English: Closure is the feeling of peace you get when something difficult finally ends and you can stop worrying about it.

"She felt relief after receiving closure about what really happened to her friend."

Usage: Use closure to describe the final resolution of an emotional situation, such as accepting a loss rather than seeking revenge on someone who caused it. It is often confused with completion in business contexts, but here it specifically refers to psychological satisfaction from having loose ends tied up.

Verb
1

terminate debate by calling for a vote

"debate was closured"

"cloture the discussion"

Example Sentences
"She felt relief after receiving closure about what really happened to her friend." noun
"The family finally found closure after years of waiting for news about their missing relative." noun
"Closing the project gave me a sense of closure that I had been craving all along." noun
"She sought legal closure to end the uncertainty surrounding her accident claim." noun
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
approach order Gestalt law of organization decision making obstruction termination end
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
closure by compartment breechblock plug vapor lock implosion plant closing bank closing layoff

Origin

From Middle English closure, from Old French closure, from Late Latin clausura, from Latin claudere ("to close"); see clausure and cloture (etymological doublets) and close.

Rhyming Words
ure cure lure fure kure yure eure ture pure bure sure mure dure shure viure heure azure alure coure youre
Compare
Closure vs