contain
C1Neutral (used across formal, academic, and informal contexts)
Definition
Meaning
To have within or hold inside; to include as a part or component.
To keep something within limits; to control or restrain something (e.g., emotions, a situation, a spread).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The verb implies a boundary, either physical (a vessel, area) or abstract (limits, restrictions). It often suggests control or prevention of escape/expansion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant semantic differences. Minor spelling differences may appear in derived forms (e.g., containable).
Connotations
Equally neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparably high frequency in both corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] contains [NP][NP] be contained in/within [NP][NP] contain oneself (reflexive)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “contain your excitement”
- “contain yourself”
- “bottle up (related concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for controlling costs, budgets, or market risks (e.g., 'We must contain our operating expenses.').
Academic
Frequent in scientific writing to describe components of a system or substance (e.g., 'The sample contained high levels of iron.').
Everyday
Common for describing contents of packages, food, or news (e.g., 'This box contains your new phone.').
Technical
Used in computing (data structures), medicine (disease control), and engineering (pressure vessels).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The report contains several inaccuracies.
- The bottle contains 500 millilitres of water.
- Emergency services worked to contain the blaze.
- He could barely contain his glee.
American English
- The document contains sensitive information.
- This cereal contains 12 grams of sugar per serving.
- The strategy aims to contain inflation.
- She struggled to contain her laughter.
adverb
British English
- The virus spread containably within the isolated ward.
American English
- The protest remained containably within the designated area.
adjective
British English
- The containable fire was quickly extinguished.
- It was a self-contained flat with its own entrance.
American English
- The spill was not easily containable.
- They lived in a self-contained apartment unit.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The bag contains my books.
- This drink contains sugar.
- The park contains a small lake.
- The email contained important instructions.
- This cheese contains nuts, so be careful.
- Police contained the crowd behind barriers.
- The article contains a critical analysis of the policy.
- The chemical compound contains three distinct elements.
- Government measures failed to contain the economic crisis.
- His argument contains a logical fallacy that undermines its conclusion.
- The treaty contains provisions for mutual defence in case of an attack.
- She mastered the art of containing her emotions during tense negotiations.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CONTAINER. To CONTAIN something is to act like a container for it.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDEAS ARE OBJECTS (contained in a text); EMOTIONS ARE FLUIDS (to be contained or they will spill out).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not to be confused with 'сохранять' (to preserve) or 'поддерживать' (to maintain).
- The Russian 'содержать' is a close match for 'contain' (hold) but also means 'maintain financially'.
- Avoid using 'включать' (to include/to turn on) for physical containment.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect preposition: 'contain of' instead of 'contain' + direct object.
- Confusing 'contain' with 'content' (noun).
- Using it for people in a restrictive sense (e.g., 'The room contained 10 people' is fine, but 'She contained the child' is odd).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'contain' used metaphorically?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Contain' often focuses on what is inside a physical or abstract boundary ('The box contains toys'). 'Include' often lists components or parts of a whole, implying other parts exist ('The price includes breakfast').
Yes, but usually in the sense of 'hold within a space' (e.g., 'The stadium can contain 80,000 spectators'), not in the sense of controlling a person's actions.
Primarily yes, when describing what something holds ('The book contains chapters'). It can be dynamic when describing the act of control ('Firefighters contained the fire').
The most common are 'container' (object that holds things) and 'containment' (the action of keeping something under control).
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