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

By then, containment will be impossible. —Robert B. Shpiner, STAT, 13 Feb. 2026

The billion-ton rock canopy provides passive containment and shielding that protects the reactor from natural disasters or surface-level threats while the billion-ton rock canopy acts as an extra layer of safety. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026

The Cheshire Fire Department and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to the scene to coordinate containment and cleanup, police said. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026

The sodium transfers heat better, and their low-pressure systems require much less containment. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 7 Feb. 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