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

This can lead to violence and lockdowns, which leaves the bureau with less time to focus on prisoner rehabilitation and reentry. — Scott Peyton, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

School officials and law enforcement are investigating after apparent threats led to lockdowns at five Philadelphia schools Tuesday. — Andrew Krietz, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

The result was a brutal, two-month lockdown of Shanghai that left many without reliable access to food and medicine, and which became the template for lockdowns throughout China later that year. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

There weren’t many in Saturday’s lockdown defensive effort, but Grade-A scoring opportunities still emerged, the most dangerous arriving midway through the final period, with the score knotted 1-1. — Janson Duench, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lockdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

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