involved

adjective

in·​volved in-ˈvälvd 

-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 patients …

—R. J. Thomas

4

obsolete : involute, twisted

involvedly

in-ˈväl-vəd-lē 

-ˈvȯl-

also -ˈvä-vəd-

or -ˈvȯ-

adverb

Synonyms of involved

• complicated
• complicate
• intricate
• complex
• sophisticated

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

In that litigation, which has to do with the withholding of records in the case, a deputy city attorney and a San Diego police captain claimed on March 16 that the incident was still under review by the district attorney’s office for potential prosecution of the involved officers. —Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

The pitch clipped the top outside corner before Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez made a snap throw to first base, which can be tricky for all involved to get a good look at. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026

If a micromobility device is involved in an accident involving injury or property damage, the rider must provide contact information to other involved parties and report the accident to police. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026

Prosecutors have determined that the police shooting of a man in South San Francisco in December was legally justifiable and no charges will be filed against the involved officers. —Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of involve

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing involved

• self-involved

Rhymes for involved

• redissolved
• undissolved
• uninvolved
• unresolved
• absolved
• devolved
• dissolved
• evolved
• resolved
• revolved
• unsolved
• solved

Kids Definition

involved

adjective

in·​volved

: very complicated

a long and involved story