Meanings
nouncontainment (countable and uncountable, plural containments)
plural containments
- uncountableThe state of being contained.
A new siding and turnback facility at Midleton will also be developed, along with new cable containment routes.
2024 September 18, “Network News: Cork twin-tracking set to begin”, in RAIL, number 1018, page 13 - countableuncountableThe state of containing.
- countableobsoleteuncountableSomething contained.
The containment of a rich man's estate.
1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI) - countableuncountableA policy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power by creating alliances with other states; especially the foreign policy strategy of the United States in the early years of the Cold War.
Mr. Putin has reinvigorated an alliance that spent years confused about its purpose once it lost the adversary it was formed to contain, the Soviet Union. Now, containment is back.
2022 February 18, David E. Sanger, “The United States’ Message to Russia: Prove Us Wrong”, in The New York Times, →ISSN - countableA physical system designed to prevent the accidental release of radioactive or other dangerous materials from a nuclear reactor or industrial plant.
- countablemathematicsAn inclusion.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Italic*kom
- Proto-Italic*kom-
- Latincon-
- Proto-Indo-European*ten-
- Proto-Indo-European*tn̥eh₁yéti
- Proto-Italic*tenēō
- Latinteneō
- Latincontineō
- Latincontinēre
- Old Frenchcontenir
- Middle Englishconteinen
- Englishcontain
- Englishcontainment
Translations
Bulgarian въздържане, сдържане
- въздържане (văzdăržane)state of being contained
- сдържане (sdăržane)policy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
Catalan conteniment, contenció
- contenimentstate of being contained
- contencióstate of being contained
- contenimentstate of containing
- contencióstate of containing
- contingutsomething contained
- contenimentpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- contenciópolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- contenimentphysical system designed to prevent the accidental release of dangerous materials
- contencióphysical system designed to prevent the accidental release of dangerous materials
- inclusiómathematical inclusion
Chinese Mandarin 圍堵 /围堵, 遏制
- 圍堵 /围堵 (wéidǔ)policy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- 遏制 (èzhì)policy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
Danish inddæmning, inddæmningspolitik
- inddæmningstate of containing
- inddæmningspolitikpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
Estonian piiramine
- piiraminestate of containing
Finnish rajoittuminen, pidättyminen
- rajoittuminenstate of being contained
- pidättyminenstate of being contained
- eristyminenstate of being contained
- rajoittaminenstate of containing
- pidättäminenstate of containing
- hillitseminenstate of containing
- eristäminenstate of containing
- patoamispolitiikkapolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- patoaminenpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- eristysjärjestelmäphysical system designed to prevent the accidental release of dangerous materials
French confinement, confinement
- confinementstate of being contained
- confinementstate of containing
German Eindämmung, Eindämmungspolitik
- Eindämmungstate of containing
- Eindämmungspolitikpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- Sicherheitsumschließungphysical system designed to prevent the accidental release of dangerous materials
- Sicherheitsbehälterphysical system designed to prevent the accidental release of dangerous materials
Italian contenimento, contenimento
- contenimentostate of being contained
- contenimentostate of containing
Portuguese contenção, contenção
- contençãostate of being contained
- contençãostate of containing
Russian сде́рживание
- сде́рживание (sdérživanije)policy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
Spanish contenimiento, contenimiento
- contenimientostate of being contained
- contenimientostate of containing
- contenciónpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- contenciónphysical system designed to prevent the accidental release of dangerous materials
Swedish begränsning, hejdande
- begränsningstate of being contained
- hejdandestate of being contained
- inneslutningstate of being contained
- uppdämningpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- uppdämningspolitikpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- tillbakahållningpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- tillbakahållningspolitikpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- återhållningpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- indämningpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- indämningspolitikpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
- hejdandepolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
Ukrainian стри́мування
- стри́мування (strýmuvannja)policy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
Vietnamese sự chứa đựng, sự bao hàm
- sự chứa đựngstate of containing
- sự bao hàmstate of containing
- sự gồm cóstate of containing
- sự bao gồmstate of containing
- chính sách ngăn chặnpolicy of checking the expansion of a hostile foreign power
Cite this entry
APA
containment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/containment
MLA
“containment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/containment. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “containment,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/containment.
Source: containment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.