containment

noun

con·​tain·​ment kən-ˈtān-mənt 

1

: the act, process, or means of keeping something within limits

the containment of health costs

2

: the policy, process, or result of preventing the expansion of a hostile power or ideology

Examples of containment in a Sentence

The company's hazardous waste containment plan is being reviewed.

The government needs to adopt a containment strategy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Paraguay, meanwhile, were happy to oblige, dropping into containment mode, retreating into their own half and trying to feed off counter-attacking scraps. —Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 13 June 2026

Anticipating the conditions, firefighters worked aggressively Tuesday to increase containment, and keep additional resources on hand during the warning days. —Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026

Engineers at Titan-2 oversaw the installation of the core catcher into a concrete shaft of the reactor containment building for Unit 7. —Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026

After more than a month of battling the Pineland Road Fire in Clinch and Echols County and the Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County, both are now at 100% containment, the Georgia Forestry Commission announced on Thursday. —Dan Raby, CBS News, 12 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

contain + -ment

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for containment

• arraignment
• attainment
• entrainment
• sustainment
• ascertainment
• entertainment