contain
Americanverb (used with object)
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contains,
present (3rd person singular)
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contained,
past participle, past
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containing
present participle
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to hold or include within its volume or area.
This glass contains water.
This paddock contains our best horses.
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to be capable of holding; have capacity for.
The room will contain 75 persons safely.
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to have as contents or constituent parts; comprise; include.
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to keep under proper control; restrain.
He could not contain his amusement.
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to prevent or limit the expansion, influence, success, or advance of (a hostile nation, competitor, opposing force, natural disaster, etc.).
to contain an epidemic.
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to succeed in preventing the spread of.
efforts to contain water pollution.
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Mathematics. (of a number) to be a multiple of; be divisible by, without a remainder.
Ten contains five.
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to be equal to.
A quart contains two pints.
verb
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to hold or be capable of holding or including within a fixed limit or area
this contains five pints
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to keep (one's feelings, behaviour, etc) within bounds; restrain
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to consist of; comprise
the book contains three different sections
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military to prevent (enemy forces) from operating beyond a certain level or area
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maths
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to be a multiple of, leaving no remainder
6 contains 2 and 3
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to have as a subset
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Synonym Usage
Contain, accommodate, hold, express the idea that something is so designed that something else can exist or be placed within it. Contain refers to what is actually within a given container. Hold emphasizes the idea of keeping within bounds; it refers also to the greatest amount or number that can be kept within a given container. Accommodate means to contain comfortably or conveniently, or to meet the needs of a certain number. A passenger plane that accommodates 50 passengers may be able to hold 60, but at a given time may contain only 30.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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containsimple
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containssimple
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have containedperfect
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has containedperfect
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am containingprogressive
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are containingprogressive
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is containingprogressive
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have been containingperfect progressive
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has been containingperfect progressive
Past
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containedsimple
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had containedperfect
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was containingprogressive
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were containingprogressive
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had been containingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contain
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English conte(y)nen, from Anglo-French contener, Old French contenir, from Latin continēre, equivalent to con- con- + -tinēre, verb suffix of tenēre “to hold” ( see tenet)
Explanation
The verb contain has many shades of meaning but it often describes something that's held back or held in by something. Kids on the last day of school may find it hard to contain their glee when summer officially starts. Picture Times Square on New Year's Eve. People can barely contain — or hold back — their excitement at being there. They clutch cups that contain — or hold — hot drinks that help them stay warm. The police set up barriers to contain — or restrain — the crowd to keep everyone under control. The next morning, the heaps of trash on the street will contain — or include — streamers, party hats, and cups.
Vocabulary lists containing contain
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 4
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Flatworms, by contrast, contain abundant stem cells and can replace damaged tissues with remarkable efficiency.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
"It is undoubtedly a problem that's exploding in society, and we're struggling to know how to contain it," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
Firefighters in Greece on Tuesday were hoping to contain a wildfire on the outskirts of Athens burning for a fifth day, with easing winds enabling the use of vital aircraft.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
The Minnesota health official said Chipotle had provided records and other details about its ingredients and had taken other steps to contain the outbreak.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
Although rural counties contain only 20 percent of the U.S. population, 60 percent of new prison construction occurs there.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
It contains a black-and-white photo of Velvet Underground musician John Cale, fashion heavyweight Marc Jacobs, and film director Martin Scorsese.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
“While Mr. Abraham owns stock in CoolKicks, the indictment contains no allegations of wrongdoing by CoolKicks or anyone else associated with CoolKicks,” the statement said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
A 12-oz can of Celsius or Alani Nu contains 200 mg—a little less than two Red Bulls or five Diet Cokes, and about 50-80 mg more than each of my lattes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
It also injects a bit of saliva, which contains anticoagulants to prevent the host’s blood from clotting as the mosquito feeds.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
If it contains salt, it is possible that the salt is left over from ancient water.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
When a software developer rejected the code because it contained malware, one of these AI-created personas insisted the code was fine, while a second vouched for it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Positive dealer gamma could help stabilize the market and keep daily moves contained.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
Benya, one hectare of forest contained 11 trees, each more than 65 meters tall.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
For $23 in cash, it contained four objects, all of which now had to be protected from one another.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
As a bomber, of course, it also contained bombing gear and bombsights, and all of this needed maintenance and loading.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Before them stood 112 coffins containing bones and fragments of victims from the Abu Sharia and al-Hasayna families, two branches of the same Bedouin clan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Opened two years ago, the plant can process around 4,000 tonnes of electronic waste a year, containing "about 400 kilos of gold", said the Mint's development director, Sean Millard.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Spanish and French firefighters continue to battle the blazes, though they have made progress containing the flames.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
There is no clear picture of the destruction so far, Rethymno's deputy regional governor Maria Lioni said, adding that the fire was still burning and that containing it was the main priority.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
No longer was the earth comfortably ensconced in the center of the universe; there was no shell containing the cosmos.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
