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

Large air tankers were called in Monday night to slow the fire’s eastern spread while firefighters, engines and bulldozers worked to strengthen containment lines. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026

The company had also begun containment and forensic analysis before coordinating with OpenAI on the investigation. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026

The Willow fire had consumed roughly 7,196 acres with 41% containment as of Tuesday morning, according to fire officials. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 21 July 2026

On Sunday evening, the fire was mapped at 29,752 acres (46 square miles), and containment was estimated at 5%, CalFire said. — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 20 July 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