Contain: Holding Something Inside, and Stopping It Spreading
To contain is to hold something within, or to keep it from spreading. Fires, outbreaks and emotions are all contained, and so are the ingredients in a packet.
Contain means to hold within limits. Two senses run in parallel: what a box contains is a matter of fact, while containing a fire or an outbreak is an achievement, and the second use always implies something is trying to get out.
- To hold inside. *The box contains spare parts.*
- To include as a component. *This product contains nuts.*
- To keep from spreading. *Firefighters contained the blaze.*
- To hold back a feeling. *She could not contain her delight.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | contain | It contains gluten. |
| Noun | container | A shipping container. |
| Noun | containment | Containment of the leak. |
| Adjective | self-contained | A self-contained flat. |
| Related | content | The contents of the bag. |
How it is used in a sentence
- May contain traces of peanuts.Allergen labelling — legally significant wording.
- The outbreak was contained within a week.Stopped from spreading further.
- A self-contained flat has its own kitchen and bathroom.Needs nothing from outside.
Contain, include, hold and comprise
- Contain — hold within, whether or not it is the whole content
- Include — have as one part among others
- Hold — have capacity for, as with a jug that holds a litre
- Comprise — consist of, and takes the whole: *the set comprises six pieces*
- *Comprised of* is widely used but still criticised; consists of is safer
From Old French *contenir*, from Latin *continere*, to hold together, from *com* and *tenere*, to hold. The same *tenere* gives tenant, tenacious, retain and contents.
Contain or include?
Contain says what is inside; include says what is among the things inside. A box contains six items and includes a manual.
What is containment in policy language?
A strategy of limiting the spread of something rather than eliminating it — used of epidemics, fires and, historically, of Soviet influence.