closeted

adjective

clos·​et·​ed ˈklä-zə-təd How to pronounce closeted (audio)
ˈklȯ-
: closet entry 3 sense 3
a closeted gay man

Examples of closeted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For much of his professional career, Gurr was a closeted gay man, coming of age during the 1950s era of Joseph McCarthy and the Lavender Scare, the anti-communist purge of LGBTQ+ people from the U.S. government. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025 Han plays Min, the closeted and wealthy heir of a Korean corporate empire whose visa is about to expire. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 19 Apr. 2025 Behind her glamorous exterior, the real Dorothy was a closeted lesbian who struggled with substance abuse and was mistreated by the men within Hollywood’s studio system before ultimately committing suicide. Abby Monteil, Them., 17 Apr. 2025 The film centers on María (Gomez), a closeted twenty-something Chicana who—against the wishes of her workaholic mother, Celestina (Perroni)—sets out to fulfill her grandmother’s dying wish: to return to the rural Mexican village where she was born before Alzheimer’s erases her memories for good. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for closeted

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of closeted was in 1969

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Closeted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/closeted. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on closeted

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!