contain

verb

con·​tain kən-ˈtān 

contained; containing; contains

transitive verb

1

: to keep within limits: such as

a

: restrain, control

could hardly contain her enthusiasm

b

: check, halt

contain the spread of a deadly disease

Firefighters contained the wildfire.

c

: to follow successfully a policy of containment toward

efforts to contain Communism

d

: to prevent (an enemy or opponent) from advancing or from making a successful attack

2

a

: to have within : hold

The box contains old letters.

b

: comprise, include

The bill contains several new clauses.

3

a

: to be divisible by usually without a remainder

b

: enclose, bound

intransitive verb

: to restrain oneself

containable

kən-ˈtā-nə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• bear
• boast
• hold

Choose the Right Synonym for contain

contain, hold, accommodate mean to have or be capable of having within.

contain implies the actual presence of a specified substance or quantity within something.

the can contains a quart of oil

hold implies the capacity of containing or the usual or permanent function of containing or keeping.

the bookcase will hold all my textbooks

accommodate stresses holding without crowding or inconvenience.

the hall can accommodate 500 people

Examples of contain in a Sentence

The room was barely big enough to contain everyone who came to the meeting.

The book contains over 200 recipes.

The article contains information on how to plan your retirement.

foods that contain a high level of fat

The movie contains something for both children and adults.

State health officials have succeeded in containing the virus.

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Recent Examples on the Web

The city plans to take on more than $22 million in transportation projects along the corridor, which contains College Avenue, Nelson Hackett Boulevard and South School Avenue. —Stacy Ryburn, arkansasonline.com, 6 Dec. 2023

The upload contained two photos of the small white dog. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 6 Dec. 2023

Sweeteners, sugary syrups and even some plant milks contain additives that can inflame the gut and the brain, undoing all the hard work. —Georgia Day, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2023

Reports for previous years also contain apparent inaccuracies and sometimes conflict with OpenAI’s disclosures to US tax authorities at the IRS. —Paresh Dave, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2023

High levels of caffeine and sugar A large, 30-ounce Mango Yuzu Citrus Charged Lemonade contains 390 milligrams of caffeine and 124 grams of sugar, according to the suits filed against the company, as well as to an ingredient list posted on the company's website. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2023

Viewers would enter a chamber containing a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of an enormous painting, usually one that glorified military conquests by rendering them into one unbroken landscape. —Dennis Zhou, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023

The statement said 200 trucks containing medical supplies would be brought into the enclave on a daily basis, along with four trucks containing fuel and cooking gas. —NBC News, 24 Nov. 2023

The videos show bathrooms and smaller rooms containing metal cots and an air conditioning unit but little concrete evidence to indicate what they were used for. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 24 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English conteynen, borrowed from Anglo-French cunteign-, cunteyn-, present tense stem of contenir, cuntenir, going back (with conjugation change) to Latin continēre "to hold together, restrain, have as contents," from con- con- + tenēre "to hold, occupy, possess" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

contain

verb

con·​tain kən-ˈtān 

1

: to keep within limits : restrain, check

tried to contain my laughter

the forest fire was finally contained

2

: to have within

3

: to consist of : include

4

: to be divisible by especially without a remainder

20 contains 5

containment

-ˈtān-mənt

noun