English Meaning & Definitions
Keeping one's sexual orientation, gender identity, or a significant personal secret hidden from others.
- “He lived in the closet for years before finally feeling comfortable enough to come out to his family.”
- “She felt a sense of relief once she was no longer in the closet about her political affiliations.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “in the closet”.
The idiom emerged in the mid-20th century as a metaphor for secrecy. It derives from the literal concept of hiding something away in a private, enclosed space. By the late 1960s, it became specifically associated with the LGBTQ+ community, referring to individuals who keep their sexual orientation or gender identity hidden from the public to avoid social stigma or discrimination.
Imagine a person hiding their true self inside a dark, cramped closet, waiting for the right time to step out into the light.
Frequently Asked Questions About “in the closet”
1. What is the meaning of “in the closet” in English?
In English, in the closet (idiom) is defined as: “Keeping one's sexual orientation, gender identity, or a significant personal secret hidden from others.”.
2. How do you use “in the closet” in a sentence?
“He lived in the closet for years before finally feeling comfortable enough to come out to his family.”
3. What are English synonyms of “in the closet”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “in the closet”?
The idiom emerged in the mid-20th century as a metaphor for secrecy. It derives from the literal concept of hiding something away in a private, enclosed space. By the late 1960s, it became specifically associated with the LGBTQ+ community, referring to individuals who keep their sexual orientation or gender identity hidden from the public to avoid social stigma or discrimination.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.