contain

verb

con·​tain kən-ˈtān 

contained; containing; contains

transitive verb

1

a

: to have within : hold

The box contains old letters.

b

: comprise, include

The bill contains several new clauses.

2

: 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

3

a

: to be divisible by usually without a remainder

b

: enclose, bound

intransitive verb

: to keep oneself under control

When I saw them after so many years, I could hardly contain myself. [=control my feelings]

containable

kən-ˈtā-nə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms of contain

• hold
• boast

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tellingly, the network seemed to know the difference in its official response, acknowledging that the original piece contained errors. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026

At one time the city contained more than 70 theaters, three of which—the Lyric, the Carver, and the Alabama—remain and have been restored with proper grandeur. — Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

Under Modi, authorities have often used arrests and restrictions on public gatherings to contain demonstrations, raising questions about the space for protests in the world’s largest democracy. — Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Campers were later advised to continue to shelter in their vehicles until further notice as a weather system containing lightning moved into the Coachella Valley region, as tropical storm Rachel hit the coast of Southern California. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 11 Oct. 2026

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 2

Rhymes for contain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

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