lockdown

noun

lock·​down ˈläk-ˌdau̇n 

plural lockdowns

1

: the confinement of prisoners to their cells for all or most of the day as a temporary security measure

2

a

: an emergency measure or condition in which people are temporarily prevented from entering or leaving a restricted area or building (such as a school) during a threat of danger

For those of you unfamiliar with a school lockdown, it basically means that … when there is a threat of danger, the doors to all the classrooms and offices are locked.

—Anne Sponholtz

lockdown drills/procedures

b

: a temporary condition imposed by governmental authorities (as during the outbreak of an epidemic disease) in which most people are required to refrain from or limit activities outside the home involving public contact (such as dining out or attending large gatherings)

Authorities placed the central Chinese city under lockdown on Jan. 23 after the virus had infected hundreds of residents and was just starting its spread across the globe.

—Darryl Coote

The San Francisco Bay Area lockdown and national guidelines signal a rapid escalation of government and business efforts to halt the coronavirus spread via restrictions that will slam the brakes on economic activity.

—Ed Carson

While most people are at home during lockdown, essential workers are still on the front lines and need their children to be looked after.

—George Heagney

Examples of lockdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Dodgers still tried, taking a big bite out of the Padres’ lead on Teoscar Hernández’s grand slam in the top of the third inning to make it 6-5. Buehler, meanwhile, settled down to get through the fifth inning, before handing things off to a lockdown bullpen. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024

Prosperity under Democratic presidents was so often aided by the GOP’s more routine embrace of limited government and freedom, while horrendous errors by GOP presidents (2008 bailouts, 2020 lockdowns) were embraced much more by Democrats than Republicans. —John Tamny, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024

Over the past several years our long-term friend group has opened up to each other about challenges in all of our marriages – infidelity, COVID lockdown, aging parents, moves, etc. —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 6 Oct. 2024

Watching Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis in a near-empty theater differs from other post-Covid lockdown moviegoing but indicates that the artist who inarguably made the single most popular film of the past half-century, The Godfather, is out of touch. —Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lockdown

noun

lock·​down

ˈläk-ˌdau̇n

1

: the confinement of prisoners to their cells as a security measure

2

a

: an emergency measure in which people are temporarily prevented from entering or leaving a restricted area during a threat of danger

b

: a temporary condition imposed by government authorities (as during the outbreak of an epidemic disease) in which people are required to stay in their homes and refrain from or limit activities outside the home (as dining out)

Legal Definition

lockdown

noun

lock·​down ˈläk-ˌdau̇n 

: the confinement of prisoners to their cells for a temporary period as a security measure