containment
gb/kəntˈeɪnmənt/ us/kəntˈeɪnmənt/
B2
English
~ 9400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
action
1
control of something harmful
The act of stopping something bad from spreading or becoming bigger.
Usage pattern:
containment of [something harmful/unwanted]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "containment" with "container" (a physical object) or "contentment" (a feeling of happiness). Also, learners may say "containment for the virus" instead of the more natural "containment of the virus"; use "containment of + [problem]".
Synonyms
control (More general word; can refer to any kind of influence or restraint, not only stopping spread or growth.)
|
suppression (Emphasizes actively forcing something down or stopping it, often more forceful than general 'containment'.)
Antonyms
spread (Refers to something moving out and becoming larger or wider, which containment tries to prevent.)
|
escalation (Focuses on a problem becoming more serious or intense, the opposite of keeping it under control.)
Collocations
containment measures
|containment efforts
|containment of the virus
|fire containment
|cost containment
|full containment
Themes
safety
|politics
|health
|environment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Swift containment of the outbreak prevented it from reaching neighboring countries.
- Firefighters reported 80 percent containment of the wildfire by Monday evening.
- The company introduced strict cost containment to survive the economic downturn.
- Effective containment of the leak minimized damage to the river ecosystem.
- New regulations focus on the containment of hazardous materials during transport.
Learner examples
- Containment of the virus was the main goal.
- The fire was under containment after two days.
- The government talked about the containment of rising prices.
- Strong walls helped with the containment of the flood water.
- Good planning is important for the containment of any crisis.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
2
foreign policy to limit a rival
A plan in politics or war to stop another country or group from growing stronger or bigger, especially used for U.S. plans against the Soviet Union in the past.
Usage pattern:
a policy/strategy of containment (of [rival])
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly use this political sense for everyday problems, saying things like "containment of my stress" when the general control sense (meaning 1) is intended. This sense usually appears with words like "policy", "strategy", "doctrine", and in discussions of international politics or the Cold War.
Synonyms
deterrence (Related foreign-policy idea that focuses on discouraging attacks, whereas containment focuses on stopping expansion of influence.)
|
limitation (More general and less technical; does not specifically imply a strategic foreign policy.)
Antonyms
appeasement (In political history, refers to giving concessions to a rival power, which is often contrasted with containment.)
|
expansionism (Describes the policy of growing a state's power or territory, which containment tries to prevent.)
Collocations
policy of containment
|Cold War containment
|containment strategy
|containment doctrine
|containment of Soviet influence
|containment versus engagement
Themes
politics
|history
|international_relations
|law
Examples
- During the Cold War, containment shaped much of U.S. foreign policy toward the Soviet Union.
- The article argues that a strategy of containment is no longer realistic in a globalized world.
- Some analysts see current trade restrictions as a new form of containment of China's rise.
- The speech outlined a doctrine of containment rather than direct confrontation.
- Historians still debate whether containment successfully prevented a larger conflict.
Learner examples
- Containment was a key idea in the Cold War.
- The government chose containment instead of open war.
- Some people say a new policy of containment is starting with China.
- The book explains the history of U.S. containment of the Soviet Union.
- They discussed if containment is still a good strategy today.
Noun
technical
C1
action
3
keeping substances fully enclosed
The way something, like a liquid or gas, is kept inside walls or a container so it does not leak out.
Usage pattern:
containment of [substance] / [adjective] containment system
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this is a technical use and might overuse it in general speech, where simpler words like "keeping in" or "holding" are more natural. Also, "containment" is uncountable here; do not say "a containment" when you mean "a containment system" or "a containment structure".
Synonyms
enclosure (Focuses on the closed space around something, not specifically on preventing leaks or environmental release.)
|
confinement (Stresses something being held in a limited space; can be used for people or animals, not just substances.)
Antonyms
release (The act of letting a substance go out into the environment, which proper containment tries to prevent.)
|
leakage (The unwanted escape of a substance through a barrier, often caused by failed containment.)
Collocations
spill containment
|secondary containment
|containment system
|containment vessel
|leak containment
|containment failure
Themes
engineering
|environment
|science
|technology
Examples
- The plant upgraded its spill containment to meet new environmental regulations.
- Engineers are testing the containment system for possible leaks under high pressure.
- Secondary containment is required for all tanks storing hazardous chemicals.
- The report blamed the accident on inadequate containment of toxic fumes.
- Regular inspections help ensure the long-term integrity of the containment vessel.
Learner examples
- Good containment stopped the oil from reaching the river.
- The factory improved its spill containment system.
- There was a problem with the containment of gas in the pipe.
- The tank has strong walls for better containment of chemicals.
- Poor containment can cause serious damage to nature.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
4
safety structure preventing escape
A special building or structure that keeps dangerous materials inside so they cannot get into the air, water, or ground.
Usage pattern:
a containment building/structure for [facility]
Common mistake:
Learners might treat this as a general word for any container. In this technical sense it usually appears as "containment building", "reactor containment", or "containment structure" in discussions of nuclear or chemical safety.
Synonyms
protective structure (More general; does not specifically imply preventing the escape of hazardous materials.)
Antonyms
open facility (A site without sealed protective structures, where substances are not fully enclosed.)
Collocations
containment building
|reactor containment
|containment dome
|steel containment structure
|containment integrity
Themes
engineering
|energy
|safety
|science
|technology
Examples
- Inspections revealed minor cracks in the concrete containment building at the nuclear plant.
- The reactor is housed inside a steel containment designed to withstand extreme pressure.
- Engineers confirmed that the containment structure had not been breached during the earthquake.
- Upgrades to the containment dome will improve the station’s overall safety rating.
- The report concluded that the containment held, preventing any release of radiation.
Learner examples
- The nuclear plant has a strong containment building.
- The containment kept the radiation inside the plant.
- They repaired the old concrete on the containment structure.
- After the quake, they checked the containment for damage.
- The new plant design uses a larger steel containment.
Grammar
Dictionary form
containment
IPA
GB/kəntˈeɪnmənt/
US/kəntˈeɪnmənt/
Syllables & stress
con - tain - ment (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tain)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: containment
- Plural: containment
Word family
Expressions
containment building
1/kəntˈeɪnmənt bˈɪldɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
building enclosing hazardous systems
A very strong building around a nuclear reactor or other dangerous system that keeps dangerous materials inside.
Examples
- The nuclear plant’s containment building is made of thick reinforced concrete.
- Engineers inspected the containment building for signs of stress after the storm.
containment zone
1/kəntˈeɪnmənt zˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
area with restricted movement
An area where people or things cannot move freely because officials want to stop something bad, like a virus or fire, from spreading.
Examples
- Authorities declared several neighborhoods a containment zone after the virus was detected.
- Travel in and out of the containment zone was banned for two weeks.
- Businesses inside the containment zone were ordered to close temporarily.
secondary containment
1/sˈɛkəndˌɛɹi kəntˈeɪnmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
backup barrier for spills
Extra walls, trays, or systems used to catch liquid or gas if the main tank or pipe leaks.
Examples
- Regulations require secondary containment for all above-ground fuel tanks.
- The spill was limited to the secondary containment and did not reach the soil.