IdiomDaily LifeFrench

À huis clos

Meaning: In closed session, with the public excluded.

Literally: Behind closed door

Example: “Le procès du mineur se tiendra à huis clos.” — The juvenile's trial will be held behind closed doors.

English equivalent: Behind closed doors

Equivalents in other languages

Origin: Huis is an old French word for door, from Latin ostium, surviving only in this phrase and in huissier, the usher who keeps it. It remains the formal legal term for a hearing held in camera.

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