lockdown

noun

lock·​down ˈläk-ˌdau̇n 

plural lockdowns

1

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

2

a

: 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

For those of you unfamiliar with a school lockdown, it basically means that … when there is a threat of danger, the doors to all the classrooms and offices are locked.

—Anne Sponholtz

lockdown drills/procedures

b

: a temporary condition imposed by governmental authorities (as during the outbreak of an epidemic disease) in which most people are required to 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

While most people are at home during lockdown, essential workers are still on the front lines and need their children to be looked after.

—George Heagney

Examples of lockdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The hospital went on lockdown as a precaution while police searched for the suspect. —Wcco Staff, CBS News, 8 May 2026

According to Jha, hantavirus does not have the potential to become the next COVID-19 pandemic, which sent countries around the world into lockdown in 2020 and led to more than 1 million deaths in the United States alone. —ABC News, 8 May 2026

But those days might also inspire plenty of derision from critics, especially on the conservative side, still furious over school closures and other lockdowns that shuttered businesses. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 6 May 2026

Building better evidence Public health emergencies are becoming more frequent, and measures like lockdowns and limiting access to schools, clinics and other services can have unintended consequences. —Ilana Seff, The Conversation, 5 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lockdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

lockdown

noun

lock·​down ˈläk-ˌdau̇n 

1

: the confinement of prisoners to their cells as a security measure

2

a

: an emergency measure in which people are temporarily prevented from entering or leaving a restricted area during a threat of danger

b

: a temporary condition imposed by government 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 (as dining out)

Legal Definition

lockdown

noun

lock·​down ˈläk-ˌdau̇n 

: the confinement of prisoners to their cells for a temporary period as a security measure