lockdown

noun

lock·down | \ ˈläk-ˌdau̇n

Definition of lockdown

1 : the confinement of prisoners to their cells for all or most of the day as a temporary security measure

2a : an emergency measure or condition in which people are temporarily prevented from entering or leaving a restricted area or building (such as a school) during a threat of danger … the school went on lockdown when a student brought a pellet gun to campus.— Ian Gordon

b : a temporary condition imposed by governmental authorities (as during the outbreak of an epidemic disease) in which people are required to stay in their homes and refrain from or limit activities outside the home involving public contact (such as dining out or attending large gatherings) Authorities placed the central Chinese city under lockdown on Jan. 23 after the virus had infected hundreds of residents and was just starting its spread across the globe.— Darryl Coote The San Francisco Bay Area lockdown and national guidelines signal a rapid escalation of government and business efforts to halt the coronavirus spread via restrictions that will slam the brakes on economic activity.— Ed Carson

Note: Individuals who are employed in various occupational fields (such as healthcare, public works, law enforcement, and food supply) considered essential to public health and safety may continue working outside the home during a lockdown.

Examples of lockdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Prices dipped below $100 a barrel on Tuesday as investors bet demand would fall as China reintroduced a Covid-19 lockdown. — Max Colchester, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2022 Public confusion as to when the testing would be conducted, as well as whether it would be accompanied by Hong Kong’s first real lockdown, set off rounds of panic-buying and led residents to flee the city in droves. — Ezra Cheung, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2022 Lam has also consistently said that Hong Kong won’t implement a mainland China-style lockdown in the city. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2022 Plus, China's commitment to halting the spread of Covid-19, which has led to a lockdown in the tech hub of Shenzhen and new rules in Shanghai, could mean the country needs less energy in the short-term. — Julia Horowitz, CNN, 15 Mar. 2022 Local reports says that Tencent staff had been ordered to carry their computers, cables and chargers with them at all times, to enable them to stay connected and work even if they were caught in a snap lockdown. — Patrick Frater, Variety, 15 Mar. 2022 One of them is Shenzhen, where a new lockdown might impact Apple’s ability to manufacture specific products. — Chris Smith, BGR, 14 Mar. 2022 Several of China’s largest factory cities have ordered a lockdown, halting production of Toyota cars and Apple iPhones. — New York Times, 14 Mar. 2022 At the moment, Shenzhen’s lockdown is expected to last only a week—which would make its effects on inflation transitory, to use the erstwhile word of choice of Fed chair Jerome Powell. — Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lockdown.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.