Meaning & use
closed-circuit
Relating to a television or video system in which signals are sent by cable to a limited set of screens rather than broadcast publicly.
See it in a sentence
The store installed closed-circuit cameras to monitor the entrance and the checkout area.
Security guards watched the parking garage on a bank of closed-circuit monitors.
A note on using this word
Closed-circuit television is commonly abbreviated CCTV; the term is almost always hyphenated when used before a noun.
Words with a similar meaning
This term is best learned through its definition and examples.
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Describing an electrical circuit that forms a complete, unbroken loop through which current can flow.
The alarm only sounds when the closed-circuit wiring is broken by an open door.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “closed-circuit”, then compare your use with the examples above.