Word
contain
Phoneticscon·tain, stress on the second syllable
US/kənˈteɪn/
UK/kəntˈeɪn/
Definitions
01to hold inside
A2 · Elementary
v. to have something inside, like a box or a bottle.
v. to hold or have within; to be a container for a physical substance.
日本語:含む※
Español:contener
“This bottle can contain up to two litres of water.”
“The ancient ceramic vessel was found to contain traces of olive oil and wine, suggesting it was used for long-distance trade.”
Usage
Always transitive; requires a direct object.
02to include as a part
B1 · Intermediate
v. to have something as a part of a whole.
v. to include or comprise something as a constituent part or element.
日本語:含む※
Español:contener
“The document contains all the information you need for the trip.”
“The final report contains several recommendations for improving safety standards across the entire manufacturing sector.”
Usage
Often used in the passive voice in formal writing.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03to control feelings
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to keep a strong feeling or a situation under control.
v. to restrain or keep within bounds; often applied to emotions or the spread of something harmful.
日本語:抑える※
“She could hardly contain her excitement when she heard the news.”
“Emergency services worked through the night to contain the fire before it reached the nearby residential area.”
Usage
Commonly used with abstract nouns like 'excitement', 'anger', or 'outbreak'.
04mathematical sets
C1 · Advanced Mathematics Technical
v. to have a number or a group as a part of a larger group.
v. to have as an element or a subset within a mathematical set.
Español:contener
“Set A contains all the even numbers between one and ten.”
“In this proof, we must demonstrate that the larger set contains the subset of all prime integers.”
Usage
Used specifically to describe the relationship between sets and their elements.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “contain” in context.
Confusables
Consist describes the components that make up the whole, while contain describes what is held inside a space or container.
RememberConsist = The recipe. Contain = The box.
Include lists one or more parts of a larger group; contain describes what is physically or conceptually held inside a boundary.
RememberInclude is a part; contain is the whole container.
Etymology
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre (“to hold or keep together, comprise, contain”), combined form of con- (“together”) + teneō (“to hold”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/contain
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0