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

For a battery pack going into a vehicle driven on public roads, containment wasn’t optional. —Ryan Brennan march 6, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026

But beneath the neat narrative of containment was a more tangible obsession—oil. —Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026

County emergency management responded to monitor the situation and said the chemical appeared to be contained within secondary containment systems designed to capture releases. —Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2026

No injuries were reported, the media office said, sharing pictures of the scene following containment of the fire. —Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 3 Mar. 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