What does "container" mean?
Someone who contains; something that contains.; An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported.
Container
/kənˈteɪnə/ noun
noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone who contains; something that contains.; An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported.
- Grammar: container is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: receptacle, amphora, archive, arena.
- Useful contrasts: loose goods, skid, unpackaged goods.
- Usage evidence: This food will keep for a week in an airtight container.
How to use "container"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "container" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "container" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "container" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "container" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "container" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "receptacle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "container", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone who contains; something that contains.; An item in which objects, materials or data can be stored or transported.
- 2 any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another) wordnet
- 3 Someone who contains; something that contains.; A very large, typically metal, box used for transporting goods.
"Will container development merely bring about a substitution for the body of the covered wagon? Probably not, in his view, but he believes that the size and tonnage of the container are likely to increase pari passu with the lifting capacity of handling appliances."
- 4 Someone who contains; something that contains.; Someone who holds people in their seats or in a (reasonably) calm state. broadly
- 5 Someone who contains; something that contains.; A file format that can hold various types of data.
"As the MP4 container can store audio, video, or both, the M4A naming and file extension is used to hint that this MP4 container holds solely audio information."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Someone who contains; something that contains.; An abstract data type whose instances are collections of other objects.
"This advantage is the primary incentive for using a list container, rather than a vector or a deque."
- 7 Someone who contains; something that contains.; Any user interface component that can hold further (child) components.
"Flex automatically creates a TabBar container at the top of the TabNavigator container, with a tab corresponding to each child container. Each tab can have its own label and icon."
- 8 Someone who contains; something that contains.; A web container.
- 9 Someone who contains; something that contains.; A bundle consisting of operating system, application code and dependencies to be run sandboxed inside a virtualized environment; (by extension) the environment itself.
"Generally, when people think of serverless computing, they tend to think of applications with back-ends that run on third-party services, also described as code running on ephemeral containers."
- 10 Someone who contains; something that contains.; A type of cryptic device where one word is inserted into another.
"As with all varieties of cryptic clues, the container device can be used in conjunction with other devices, especially in more complex cryptic crosswords."
Antonyms
Example
"This food will keep for a week in an airtight container."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "container"?
Common synonyms include: receptacle, amphora, archive, arena, arrays, basin.
How do you use "container" in a sentence?
This food will keep for a week in an airtight container.
How do you pronounce "container"?
Pronounced /kənˈteɪnə/.
Etymology
From Middle English conteyner, equivalent to contain + -er.