# contained

/kənˈteɪnd/ (US) · /kəntˈeɪnd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/contained
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. held inside

verb · CEFR B1

to have something inside or to be part of something.

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

- The old box contained several letters from her grandfather.
- The report contained several classified documents that had been mistakenly left in the public archive for over a decade.

### 2. stopped from spreading

verb · CEFR B2

to have prevented something dangerous or unpleasant from spreading.

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

- The firefighters finally contained the forest fire after three days.
- Public health officials worked tirelessly until the outbreak was contained within the northern provinces, preventing a national crisis.

### 3. restricted in space

adjective · CEFR B2

kept within a small or specific area.

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

- The chemical spill was contained in a small area of the lab.
- The experiment was conducted in a contained environment to ensure that no external contaminants could influence the results.

### 4. emotionally controlled

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

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

For teachers: showing emotional self-restraint or being self-controlled in manner.

- Even though she was angry, her reaction was very contained.
- His contained response to the criticism surprised his colleagues, who had expected a much more defensive outburst.

## Examples

- The box contained several old photographs.
- The report contained several errors that the team had to fix before the final deadline.
- The ancient vessel contained traces of olive oil and wine, providing archaeologists with vital clues about the dietary habits of the civilization that once thrived there.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.