involved

adjective

in·​volved in-ˈvälvd How to pronounce involved (audio)
-ˈvȯlvd,
 also  -ˈvävd,
 or  -ˈvȯvd
1
a
: having a part in something : included in something
unable to identify those who were involved
She was involved in a lawsuit.
b
: actively participating in something
an involved citizen active in local politics
c
: having a romantic or sexual relationship
warned her not to get romantically involved
2
a
: marked by extreme and often needless or excessive complexity
a long and involved story
b
: difficult to deal with because of complexity or disorder
Her husband had been extravagant; and at his death … had left his affairs dreadfully involved.Jane Austen
3
: being affected or implicated
… dealing with … the most severely involved patientsR. J. Thomas
4
obsolete : involute, twisted
involvedly
in-ˈväl-vəd-lē How to pronounce involved (audio)
-ˈvȯl-
 also  -ˈvä-vəd-
 or  -ˈvȯ-
adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for involved

complex, complicated, intricate, involved, knotty mean having confusingly interrelated parts.

complex suggests the unavoidable result of a necessary combining and does not imply a fault or failure.

a complex recipe

complicated applies to what offers great difficulty in understanding, solving, or explaining.

complicated legal procedures

intricate suggests such interlacing of parts as to make it nearly impossible to follow or grasp them separately.

an intricate web of deceit

involved implies extreme complication and often disorder.

a rambling, involved explanation

knotty suggests complication and entanglement that make solution or understanding improbable.

knotty ethical questions

Examples of involved in a Sentence

a long and involved story The instructions for assembling the toy are very involved. The process is quite involved. Those of us who were involved knew exactly what happened. Students who stay involved get more out of the program. If you want to make things better, you need to get involved. They quickly became romantically involved. No one knew that they were involved.
Recent Examples on the Web Hans becomes involved in the anti-Nazi resistance, with a group of young people who will later be called the Red Orchestra. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 1 Mar. 2024 The Justice Department became involved in early 2022 when officials realized those papers included highly sensitive secret papers. Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Surprising Fact Court documents filed Tuesday alleged Smirnov had contact with a number of Russian intelligence officials, who were ostensibly involved in giving him a story about the president’s son. Cailey Gleeson, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Once the altercation was broken up, all involved students walked to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office, school officials said. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 The Christian Security Institute is among the more involved businesses in a fast-growing active shooter defense industry taking root with the rise of bloodshed and anxiety across North Texas and America. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024 That wreck ruined acres of sheet metal, as 23 cars were at least somewhat involved (more than half of the cars in the field of 40). Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2024 In the movie, Affleck played the role of Capt. Rafe McCawley, a U.S. Army Air Force pilot who becomes involved in a love triangle with his best friend Capt. Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) and nurse Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale) against the backdrop of World War II and the Pearl Harbor attack. Ashley Hume, Fox News, 20 Feb. 2024 The Marley family was closely involved in the movie: Ziggy, Marley’s daughter Cedella, and his wife, Rita, are all producers. Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'involved.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of involve

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of involved was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near involved

Cite this Entry

“Involved.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/involved. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

involved

adjective
in·​volved
: very complicated
a long and involved story

More from Merriam-Webster on involved

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