involve

verb

in·​volve in-ˈvälv How to pronounce involve (audio)
-ˈvȯlv,
 also  -ˈväv,
 or  -ˈvȯv
involved; involving

transitive verb

1
a
: to engage as a participant
workers involved in building a house
b
: to oblige to take part
right of Congress to involve the nation in war
c
: to occupy (someone, such as oneself) absorbingly
especially : to commit (someone) emotionally
was involved with a married man
2
a
: to have within or as part of itself : include
b
: to require as a necessary accompaniment : entail
c
: affect entry 1
the cancer involved the lymph nodes
3
: to relate closely : connect
4
: to surround as if with a wrapping : envelop
5
archaic : to enfold or envelop so as to encumber
6
archaic : to wind, coil, or wreathe about
involver noun
Choose the Right Synonym for involve

include, comprehend, embrace, involve mean to contain within as part of the whole.

include suggests the containment of something as a constituent, component, or subordinate part of a larger whole.

the price of dinner includes dessert

comprehend implies that something comes within the scope of a statement or definition.

his system comprehends all history

embrace implies a gathering of separate items within a whole.

her faith embraces both Christian and non-Christian beliefs

involve suggests inclusion by virtue of the nature of the whole, whether by being its natural or inevitable consequence.

the new job involves a lot of detail

Examples of involve in a Sentence

He told us a story involving life on a farm. She remained involved with the organization for many years. Renovating the house involved hiring a contractor. The disease continued to spread until it involved the entire jaw.
Recent Examples on the Web In a nutshell, parkour centers around getting from one point to another in the fastest way possible and often involves swiftly crawling and leaping through obstacles along the way. Popular Science, 14 Mar. 2024 The company, General Dynamics Information Technology, was one of the contractors involved in the debacle of HealthCare.gov — an Obama-era online insurance marketplace that had a notoriously rough rollout in 2013. Zach Montague, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The initiative originally involved five Gazan business owners, each allotted 20 trucks per day, said one of the businessmen involved in last month’s deadly convoy, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive situation. Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Isometric muscle action happens when muscles contract but do not visibly change length, and the joints involved don’t move, facilitating stability of the body. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 The Department of Defense became involved in PFAS development in the 1960s. Zoya Teirstein / Grist, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Erik Frazier, who spent two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, will be the wide receivers coach in a move that involves predecessor Jerry Neuheisel taking over responsibilities for the tight ends. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 All involved want audiences to recognize that military service is dangerous, but so too is coming home. Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Some of those involved in the scheme were later indicted for violating campaign contribution limits. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'involve.' 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

Middle English envolven, involven "to cloud (with obscurities), envelop (in darkness, vice), encumber, surround," borrowed from Latin involvere "to move by rolling, roll back on itself, enclose in a covering, wrap up" (Medieval Latin, "to envelop [in tears, shadows], engage in an affair or occupation, implicate, ensnare"), from in- in- entry 2 + volvere "to set in a circular course, cause to roll, bring round" — more at wallow entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Time Traveler
The first known use of involve was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near involve

Cite this Entry

“Involve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/involve. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

involve

verb
in·​volve in-ˈvälv How to pronounce involve (audio)
-ˈvȯlv
involved; involving
1
: to take part in as a participant
involved in bird watching
2
: to occupy absorbingly
so involved in the book, she didn't hear the doorbell
3
: to have within or as a part of itself : include
one problem involves others
4
: to call for : require
the job involved building 10 bridges
5
: to have an effect on : affect
the renovations involved the whole school
involvement noun
involver noun

Medical Definition

involve

transitive verb
in·​volve
in-ˈvälv, -ˈvȯlv also -ˈväv or -ˈvȯv
involved; involving
: to affect with a disease or condition : include in an area of damage, trauma, or insult
all the bones of the skull were involved in the proliferative process
herpes involved the trigeminal nerve
severely involved patients were isolated
lacerations involved the muscles

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