View synonyms for contain

contain

[ kuhn-teyn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

to hold or include within its volume or area:
This glass contains water.
This paddock contains our best horses.
to be capable of holding; have capacity for:
The room will contain 75 persons safely.
to have as contents content or constituent parts; comprise; include.
Synonyms: embrace, embody
to keep under proper control; restrain:
He could not contain his amusement.
to prevent or limit the expansion, influence, success, or advance of (a hostile nation, competitor, opposing force, natural disaster, etc.):
to contain an epidemic.
to succeed in preventing the spread of:
efforts to contain water pollution.
Mathematics. (of a number) to be a multiple of; be divisible by, without a remainder:
Ten contains five.
to be equal to:
A quart contains two pints.

contain

/ kənˈteɪn /

verb

to hold or be capable of holding or including within a fixed limit or area
this contains five pints
to keep (one's feelings, behaviour, etc) within bounds; restrain
to consist of; comprise
the book contains three different sections
military to prevent (enemy forces) from operating beyond a certain level or area
maths
1. to be a multiple of, leaving no remainder
  6 contains 2 and 3
2. to have as a subset

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Derived Forms

conˈtainable, adjective

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Other Words From

con·taina·ble adjective
precon·tain verb (used with object)
uncon·taina·ble adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of contain¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English conte(y)nen, from Anglo-French contener, Old French contenir, from Latin continēre, equivalent to con- con- + -tinēre, verb suffix of tenēre “to hold” ( tenet )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of contain¹

C13: from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre, from com- together + tenēre to hold

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Synonym Study

Contain, accommodate, hold, express the idea that something is so designed that something else can exist or be placed within it. Contain refers to what is actually within a given container. Hold emphasizes the idea of keeping within bounds; it refers also to the greatest amount or number that can be kept within a given container. Accommodate means to contain comfortably or conveniently, or to meet the needs of a certain number. A passenger plane that accommodates 50 passengers may be able to hold 60, but at a given time may contain only 30.

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Example Sentences

The sequels will contain anything from the Expanded Universe.

From The Daily Beast

Canned drinks like Mercy contain up 5,000 percent of the daily value of certain vitamins.

From The Daily Beast

They sacrifice their shelter to contain the walkers—and Judith gets her first action scene!

From The Daily Beast

Green plants in pre-flowering stages may contain significant protein but not fat.

From The Daily Beast

And while the stories may contain caveats, the initial headlines certainly did not.

From The Daily Beast

Selections for practice should be chosen which contain much variety of thought and feeling and are smooth in movement.

From Project Gutenberg

Since this is a law of vibration, it is unscientific to speak of giving an overtone, for all tones contain overtones.

From Project Gutenberg

The apocryphal gospels contain many, and some are preserved by Persian and Arabian poets.

From Project Gutenberg

These globular masses usually contain many tubercle bacilli.

From Project Gutenberg

(a) Epithelial casts contain epithelial cells from the renal tubules.

From Project Gutenberg

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contagium contained

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