contain implies the actual presence of a specified substance or quantity within something.
the can contains a quart of oil
hold implies the capacity of containing or the usual or permanent function of containing or keeping.
the bookcase will hold all my textbooks
accommodate stresses holding without crowding or inconvenience.
the hall can accommodate 500 people
Example Sentences
The room was barely big enough to contain everyone who came to the meeting. The book contains over 200 recipes. The article contains information on how to plan your retirement. foods that contain a high level of fat The movie contains something for both children and adults. State health officials have succeeded in containing the virus. See More
Recent Examples on the WebPlug-in hybrids contain both a small battery and a combustion engine and are considered new energy vehicles that would qualify for tax exemptions and subsidies in most places. Selina Cheng, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 The new bivalent vaccines contain a lower dose of mRNA, and as such are meant to be used only as boosters and not in people who have never received a COVID-19 vaccination. Mitzi Nagarkatti, The Conversation, 1 Sep. 2022 Recipes contain five ingredients or less and come with grocery lists. Amy Fischer Ms, Rd, Good Housekeeping, 30 Aug. 2022 Further, nearly all homes contain varying degrees of particulate matter and what are called volatile organic compounds, both of which can trigger asthma attacks.jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2022 These vials no longer contain live virus, but the technology now exists to sequence the fragments of viral DNA that remain. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2022 Every row, column and box must contain the numbers one through nine, no repeats. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2022 And in comparing it to another umami-rich seasoning, MSG, nooch does not contain any sodium and can be used in larger quantities. Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2022 Cuba struggled for a third day Sunday to contain a fire at a sprawling fuel depot on the northern coast that has left hundreds injured, at least one dead and cast a shadow over the island’s already struggling economy. Jim Wyss, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English conteynen, borrowed from Anglo-French cunteign-, cunteyn-, present tense stem of contenir, cuntenir, going back (with conjugation change) to Latin continēre "to hold together, restrain, have as contents," from con-con- + tenēre "to hold, occupy, possess" — more at tenant entry 1