containment

[kuhn-teyn-muhnt]

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.

containment

/ 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

containment

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of containment¹

First recorded in 1645–55; contain + -ment

Example Sentences

At that time progress on containment remained slow, according to LAFD.

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Energy reliability and cost containment have become political imperatives.

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This will see expanded training facilities, investing in rescue training equipment and more resources put into flood containment.

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The reactor is surrounded by a containment structure, a chamber of steel-reinforced concrete as much as 5 feet thick—strong enough to hold the contents of the reactor if the steel vessel fails.

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“After an assessment of the conditions and the containment measures in place, the decision was made to close the incident and return control to the property owner.”

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Related Words

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