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contained

v. · adj.
US //kənˈteɪnd// UK //kəntˈeɪnd// con·tained
  1. 1 held inside (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to have something inside or to be part of something.

    to have held or included something within a defined space or volume; the past tense or past participle of the transitive verb.

    Example

    The old box contained several letters from her grandfather.

    Example

    The report contained several classified documents that had been mistakenly left in the public archive for over a decade.
  2. 2 stopped from spreading (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to have prevented something dangerous or unpleasant from spreading.

    to have restricted the spread or influence of something harmful, such as a fire, a disease, or an enemy force.

    Example

    The firefighters finally contained the forest fire after three days.

    Example

    Public health officials worked tirelessly until the outbreak was contained within the northern provinces, preventing a national crisis.
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  1. 3 restricted in space (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    kept within a small or specific area.

    restricted to a specific area or volume; often used in technical or safety contexts.

    Example

    The chemical spill was contained in a small area of the lab.

    Example

    The experiment was conducted in a contained environment to ensure that no external contaminants could influence the results.
  2. 4 emotionally controlled (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    keeping your feelings under control and not showing them to others.

    showing emotional self-restraint or being self-controlled in manner.

    Example

    Even though she was angry, her reaction was very contained.

    Example

    His contained response to the criticism surprised his colleagues, who had expected a much more defensive outburst.

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