contain
- 01 A2 Elementary
to have something inside, like a box or a bottle.
to hold or have within; to be a container for a physical substance.
Simple“This bottle can contain up to two litres of water.”
In context“The ancient ceramic vessel was found to contain traces of olive oil and wine, suggesting it was used for long-distance trade.”
UsageAlways transitive; requires a direct object.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
to have something as a part of a whole.
to include or comprise something as a constituent part or element.
Simple“The document contains all the information you need for the trip.”
In context“The final report contains several recommendations for improving safety standards across the entire manufacturing sector.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice in formal writing.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to keep a strong feeling or a situation under control.
to restrain or keep within bounds; often applied to emotions or the spread of something harmful.
Simple“She could hardly contain her excitement when she heard the news.”
In context“Emergency services worked through the night to contain the fire before it reached the nearby residential area.”
UsageCommonly used with abstract nouns like 'excitement', 'anger', or 'outbreak'.
- 04 C1 Advanced
to have a number or a group as a part of a larger group.
to have as an element or a subset within a mathematical set.
Simple“Set A contains all the even numbers between one and ten.”
In context“In this proof, we must demonstrate that the larger set contains the subset of all prime integers.”
UsageUsed specifically to describe the relationship between sets and their elements.
Synonyms
contain vs consist — Consist describes the components that make up the whole, while contain describes what is held inside a space or container.
contain vs include — Include lists one or more parts of a larger group; contain describes what is physically or conceptually held inside a boundary.
Usage contain water · contain large · contain light
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.