What does sealing mean?
Sealing is the act of closing, fastening, or making something secure. It is used literally when a document is closed with wax or an official stamp, when a joint is protected from water or air, or when a gap is blocked to prevent leakage. The word also has a formal figurative use: officials or businesspeople may speak of sealing an agreement, meaning that it has been finalized and cannot easily be changed. As a noun, sealing usually names the process itself rather than a particular object, although the word can also refer to material or a device used to make a closure secure. Sealing often carries connotations of permanence, protection, and formal approval. It is especially frequent in legal, diplomatic, technical, and commercial language, but it is also common in everyday descriptions of envelopes, pipes, windows, and packages. The word remains useful because it covers both the physical act of securing something and the broader idea of conclusively confirming or closing it.
The action or process of closing, fastening, or making something secure, especially by applying a seal or an impermeable barrier.
"The sealing of each package was completed before the parcels were loaded."
Usually uncountable when referring to the general process; countable use is relatively uncommon.
To close, fasten, or make something secure; to apply a seal; or, figuratively, to make an agreement definitive.
"The crew worked through the night sealing cracks in the tunnel walls."
The figurative sense, as in sealing an agreement or arrangement, is common in formal and professional contexts.
Rarely used; sealing is normally uncountable. The plural can refer to distinct acts, results, or instances of being sealed.
"The archive preserves several sealings from the colonial period."
A wax seal did double duty: it closed an official document and authenticated the authority behind it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sealing come from?
The English verb seal comes through Middle English from Old French forms such as seau and sceau, ultimately from Latin sigillum, meaning a seal or small sign. Its early use was associated with applying wax or another material to authenticate and close a document. Sealing is the regular English gerund and present participle of seal, and the same Latin root also underlies words such as sigil and sigillography.
Related word forms
How sealing is actually used
Sealing is neutral and especially common in technical, administrative, and formal contexts. As a noun, it is normally uncountable when referring to the general process, while individual acts or instances may be counted in specialist contexts.
Easily confused with sealing
Sealing means closing or securing something, whereas sailing means travelling in or operating a boat.