containment

American  

[kuhn-teyn-muhnt] / kənˈteɪn mənt /

noun

1. the act or condition of containing.

2. an act or policy of restricting the territorial growth or ideological influence of another, especially a hostile nation.

3. an act or policy of limiting the expansion or spread of a natural disaster, contagious disease, or other dangerous thing: Local farmers notified authorities of sick and dying birds more quickly than the previous year, ensuring quick containment of infection on the farm.

   Containment of the wildfire reached nearly 40% before powerful winds carried embers over the perimeter, reducing containment.

   Local farmers notified authorities of sick and dying birds more quickly than the previous year, ensuring quick containment of infection on the farm.

4. (in a nuclear power plant) an enclosure completely surrounding a nuclear reactor, designed to prevent the release of radioactive material in the event of an accident.

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containment British  

/ kənˈteɪnmənt /

noun

1. the act or condition of containing, esp of restraining the ideological or political power of a hostile country or the operations of a hostile military force

2. (from 1947 to the mid-1970s) a principle of US foreign policy that sought to prevent the expansion of Communist power

3. Also called: confinement.  physics the process of preventing the plasma in a controlled thermonuclear reactor from reaching the walls of the reaction vessel, usually by confining it within a configuration of magnetic fields See magnetic bottle

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containment Cultural  

1. A policy aimed at controlling the spread of communism around the world, developed in the administration of President Harry S. Truman. The formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 was an important step in the development of containment.

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Etymology

Origin of containment

First recorded in 1645–55; contain + -ment

Example Sentences

It has put containment measures in place but warned residents in the village of Killin that the water is still not safe to drink.

From BBC

The pile-on proceeded to break comment section containment, spreading into blogs, magazines and network TV talk shows.

From Salon

According to critics, this symbiosis creates a scientific veneer for state violence, allowing law enforcement to brand old tactics of containment and harassment as “precise” and “data-driven.”

From Salon

Firefighters responded with a C-130 air tanker, dropped retardant and created containment lines around the fire.

From Los Angeles Times

“The more we face containment and suppression, the more we must promote open cooperation in the cultural field, and showcase a credible, lovely and respectable image of China,“ Li told a forum in May.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• authority
• curb
• discipline
• domination
• force
• government
• jurisdiction
• management
• oversight
• regulation
• restraint
• restriction
• rule
• supervision