containment

noun

con·​tain·​ment kən-ˈtān-mənt How to pronounce containment (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Currently, there is no data on the containment status of the fire and the cause has yet to be determined. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 16 Nov. 2025 The Secretariat of Citizen Security noted Mexico City Police only carried out containment work and did not repress protesters or respond to the provocations. Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 15 Nov. 2025 As Beijing sees it, the three island chains serve as springboards for Western military deployments, benchmarks of the PLA’s own force projection, and concentric Western lines of defense and containment that China must break. Michael Kovrig, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2025 With the prospect that premiums may rise more sharply next year, cost containment could and maybe should be the next big health agenda item in Washington. Aman Kidwai, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for containment

Word History

Etymology

contain + -ment

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of containment was in 1655

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Containment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/containment. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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