Definitionv1
Containment: the structural relationship where an item
Containment: the structural relationship where an item exists as part of a parent entity, shares the parent's lifecycle, and cannot be accessed independently.
Why This Is a Definition
This definition precisely establishes the semantic boundary of 'containment' by identifying its genus (structural relationship) and differentia (existence as part of parent, shared lifecycle, independent access prohibition). It distinguishes containment from reference by specifying that contained items have no independent existence outside their parent and that deleting the parent deletes the child. The definition is precise enough to distinguish from related concepts like reference and composition.