containment
UK[kənˈteɪnmənt]US[kənˈteɪnmənt]
n
The act of keeping something under control or within limits.
n
The action of preventing a hostile country or influence from expanding its power.
Morpheme Breakdown
contain
ment
contain
to hold
ment
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'containment' is built upon the verb 'contain', which originates from the Latin continēre, a compound of con- (together, with) and tenēre (to hold). The core concept is thus one of holding something together or within bounds. The suffix -ment, from Latin -mentum, was added to form a noun denoting the action or process of containing. In its modern geopolitical sense, popularized during the Cold War, 'containment' logically extends this literal meaning to describe the policy of holding a rival power's influence within its existing borders, preventing its expansion.
Analysis
Structure: contain (to hold) + ment (noun suffix)
'Contain' is from Latin continēre (to hold together, enclose), via Old French contenir. 'Ment' is a noun-forming suffix of Latin origin (-mentum), indicating an action or resulting state.
Examples
The strategy of containment was central to Western foreign policy during the Cold War.
Firefighters worked on the containment of the wildfire before it could reach the residential area.
The new protocol aims at the containment of the infectious disease outbreak.