lockdown

American  

[lok-daun] / ˈlɒkˌdaʊn /

noun

• lockdowns
  plural

1. the confining of prisoners to their cells, as following a riot or other disturbance.

   The prison lockdown continues, more than three weeks after the death of a guard.

2. a security measure taken during an emergency to prevent people from leaving or entering a building or other location: The governor implemented a statewide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus—residents may not leave their homes for nonessential activities.

   The school remains under lockdown due to police activity in the area.

   The governor implemented a statewide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus—residents may not leave their homes for nonessential activities.

   The army base was on lockdown after a report of shots fired.

3. a freeze or pause.

   Banks aren’t lending during this credit lockdown.

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lockdown British  

/ ˈlɒkˌdəʊn /

noun

1. a security measure in which those inside a building such as a prison, school, or hospital are required to remain confined in it for a time

   many schools remained under lockdown yesterday

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lockdowns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lockdown

First recorded in 1970–75; lock ¹ + -down, probably extracted from nouns formed from phrasal verbs, such as crackdown, shutdown, etc.

Explanation

A lockdown is when people are restricted to a specific area for safety reasons. When incarcerated people are put on lockdown, they're usually confined inside their cells. Prisons and jails use lockdowns to ensure that inmates and guards are safe, and schools use them the same way, as a response to a threat of danger. During a building lockdown, no one is permitted to enter or leave. Public health lockdowns are a variation on this; the perceived threat isn't violence, but a contagious disease, and staying home reduces the rate of spread. Lockdown originated from the prison meaning and its literal locked cells.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lockdown lockdowns

McGovern said he recognised a need for "regimentation" in YOIs, but said he believed keep-aparts had increased following lockdown measures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Marine Davtyan, a Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman, told City News Service the medical emergency required the school to be placed on lockdown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Diller’s company purchased the bulk of its MGM stake in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, when the Las Vegas company’s shares were trading much lower.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

In response, South Korea's public tech training for the elderly began in 2020, when businesses and services turned online during the Covid-19 lockdown.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

“The Starry Chronicle said the cities will go on lockdown soon,” Tochi interjected, taking a news-box from his satchel.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

He added: "But of course people's thought with any outbreak of infectious disease at all runs to... lockdowns and Covid and that is just not what's going to happen here."

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

While Western tourists had begun to come to Shangri-La decades earlier, the domestic tourist boom began after Covid-19-era lockdowns left China’s growing middle class grappling for a sense of escape and meaning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Troops were also deployed to enforce strict Covid‑19 lockdowns in 2020 and during the deadly riots sparked by the jailing of ex‑president Jacob Zuma in 2021.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

The first installment of the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series was released in 2015, but the series garnered widespread popularity on BookTok during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

You might think that would mean lockdowns don’t scare me as much.

From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden