Enclose is the preferred spelling of the verb meaning to shut in, to surround, or to insert in the same envelope. Inclose was once an accepted variant, but it’s faded out of use and is now considered inferior to enclose. This distinction extends to all derived words; enclosed, enclosing, and enclosure, are preferred to inclosed, inclosing, and inclosure.
Examples
Inclose still appears, but rarely—for example:
Each was charged with resisting arrest and remaining on inclosed land. [Herald Sun]
Visitors are to stay behind safety barriers in front of the animal’s inclosed cages. [KTEN]
In the midst of the city, within a vast inclosure girt by stout yellow ramparts, looms the House of the Lord … [The Atlantic]
Most writers use enclose instead—for example:
In one corner of the courtyard, green-painted railings enclose the tomb of a saint. [Financial Times]
Altering and enclosing the veranda has provided a large space for a family corner and block area. [Manawatu Standard]
When the dogs are not racing or training they are each kept on a short chain, attached to their small enclosure. [NJ.com]
Ngram
The Ngram below charts the use of enclose and inclose in English-language books published from 1800 to 2000. It shows that inclose was rather common two centuries ago but has steadily declined.
Can anyone explain the spike in the use of enclose just before 1840? Other Ngrams show the phenomenon in both American and British English, though it’s more pronounced in British English. That moment seems to have put enclose ahead for good, even if the denouement was slow.
