Containments

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The action of holding or restricting matter within certain confines; items or substances enclosed within specific parameters; measures taken to control or limit the spread of potentially harmful agents
2. The process of keeping something confined within established boundaries ; objects or substances enclosed within a particular space ; efforts made to stop dangerous or unwanted spread
3. Holding or restraining something inside set limits ; things that are held or enclosed inside ; steps taken to control and restrict the dispersal of threats

Etymology: The word is a plain formation: "contain" plus the suffix "-ment". The verb "contain" passed into English through Middle English "conteinen", borrowed via Old French "contenir" from Latin "continere", which combined "con-" ("together") with "tenere" ("to hold"). So the core idea is simply holding things together within a boundary, and the Latin verb is a close cousin of words like "tenant" and "tenure", which share the same root for holding. The suffix "-ment" comes from Latin "-mentum", which turned verbs into nouns denoting a result or means of an action. It arrived in English through Old French "-ment" and was attached freely to English verbs, so "containment" follows the same pattern as "encouragement" or "management". The plural "containments" simply counts separate instances of this, such as distinct enclosures or distinct measures taken to contain something.

Synonyms: restrictions, limitations, controls

Antonyms: releases, liberations