containment

noun

con·​tain·​ment kən-ˈtān-mənt How to pronounce containment (audio)
1
: the act, process, or means of keeping something within limits
the containment of health costs
2
: the policy, process, or result of preventing the expansion of a hostile power or ideology

Examples of containment in a Sentence

The company's hazardous waste containment plan is being reviewed. The government needs to adopt a containment strategy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At the time of publication, the Palisades Fire was at 98% containment, while the Eaton Fire was at 99% containment. Latoya Gayle, People.com, 31 Jan. 2025 Those steep canyons were too treacherous to hike into—a broken ankle would require an air evacuation—so the crew’s assignment was to create a mile-long containment line in the peaks west of Mount Wilson Observatory. M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 The Eaton, Palisades, Hughes, and Laguna fires all stand at over 85% containment as of Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire. James Powel, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025 The Palisades fire was at 79 percent containment with an estimated 23,448 acres burned as of Friday night, according to Cal Fire. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for containment 

Word History

Etymology

contain + -ment

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of containment was in 1655

Dictionary Entries Near containment

Cite this Entry

“Containment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/containment. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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