cierre
/ˈθjere/masculine
The Spanish word for the English phrase 'closure' is cierre.
When you want to describe the specific psychological concept of 'closure', the feeling of completeness or resolution after an event, it is better to use the phrase cierre emocional to avoid being misunderstood as referring to a physical closure.
Meaning: feeling of completeness (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term clausura is a formal alternative often used when referring to the closing of an event, a formal proceeding or an establishment. For the emotional sense of completeness, use cierre emocional to distinguish it from physical or formal endings.
How does it change in a sentence?
cierre is a masculine noun and is almost always preceded by the masculine article el.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈθjere/
Did you know?
- In a fashion context, cierre is the common word for a 'zipper'.
- While cierre refers to the act of closing, the word clausura specifically describes the strict seclusion of nuns in a cloistered convent.
- Unlike the English 'closure', which is often a personal internal state, cierre emocional is a relatively modern loan-translation from English psychology.
Examples in context
- El cierre de la escuela fue debido a la niebla.The school's closure was due to the snow.This sentence shows how to use cierre when referring to the closing of a location.Tatoeba #999682 by ssc73, translation #21565 by bekindtoall
- El contrato ha llegado a su finalización.The contract has reached its closure.
- La clausura de la conferencia estuvo llena de emociones.The closure of the conference was filled with emotions.
- Necesito ponerle cierre a esta etapa de mi vida.I need to bring closure to this stage of my life.
- Es hora de ponerle punto final a esta discusión.It's time to bring closure to this discussion.
- La terminación del proyecto se celebrará la próxima semana.The closure of the project will be celebrated next week.
- Necesito un cierre emocional tras la ruptura.I need emotional closure after the breakup.
- Esa última charla me dio el cierre que buscaba.That last talk gave me the closure I was looking for.
Example conversation
Two friends talking about a past breakup.
- SofíaTodavía pienso mucho en mi relación anterior.I still think a lot about my previous relationship.
- AlejandroQuizás necesitas un cierre definitivo, Sofía.Maybe you need definitive closure, Sofía.
- SofíaTienes razón, Alejandro. Debería hablar con él.You are right, Alejandro. I should talk to him.
- AlejandroEso te ayudaría a sentirte mejor.That would help you feel better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “closure” translations and entries cierre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
