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

Guns in schools:Arizona's K-12 schools and police face flood of gun threats, lockdowns, guns Adults often the reason kids get easy access to firearms, but kids face brunt Because the state lacks laws meant to inhibit a minor's access to firearms, Arizona parents are rarely charged. —The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024

Some legislation to standardize active shooter or lockdown drills has been put forward. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2024

The practices underline the scramble by smaller farms and even some larger-scale operations to ward off the virus, as well as the fatigue, and begrudging acceptance, of the illness after years of sanitation protocols, lockdowns and debates over vaccination. —Linda Qiu, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024

After lockdown, the world opened up for the lucky laptop workers. —Chloe Berger, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024

First, lockdowns pushed millions of low-wage employees out of work. —Leonardo Bevilacqua, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Apr. 2024

Eight percent of the respondents said a lockdown due to reports of a firearm happened more than once that year. —USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

If the previous season of Curb addressed the pandemic’s erosion of social norms, this one suggested that people hardly emerged from lockdown kinder or more understanding. —Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 11 Apr. 2024

Porch & Swing, the Southern-style restaurant in Irvine that opened during the lockdown in 2020, closed its doors for good on Saturday, April 6. —Brock Keeling, Orange County Register, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

lockdown

noun

lock·​down ˈläk-ˌdau̇n 

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