involved 1 of 2

Definition of involvednext

involved

2 of 2

verb

past tense of involve
1
as in affected
to be the business or affair of this isn't something that involves you, so don't worry about it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective involved differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of involved are complex, complicated, intricate, and knotty. While all these words mean "having confusingly interrelated parts," involved implies extreme complication and often disorder.

a rambling, involved explanation

When is it sensible to use complex instead of involved?

In some situations, the words complex and involved are roughly equivalent. However, complex suggests the unavoidable result of a necessary combining and does not imply a fault or failure.

a complex recipe

When is complicated a more appropriate choice than involved?

The synonyms complicated and involved are sometimes interchangeable, but complicated applies to what offers great difficulty in understanding, solving, or explaining.

complicated legal procedures

Where would intricate be a reasonable alternative to involved?

While in some cases nearly identical to involved, intricate suggests such interlacing of parts as to make it nearly impossible to follow or grasp them separately.

an intricate web of deceit

In what contexts can knotty take the place of involved?

The meanings of knotty and involved largely overlap; however, knotty suggests complication and entanglement that make solution or understanding improbable.

knotty ethical questions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of involved
Adjective
All involved property damage but no injuries to passengers or pedestrians. Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026 Everyone involved can upload their pictures and enjoy those taken by others — right from their phones. Cody Godwin, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
An uninjured LaMelo Ball also played in the game, one day after being involved in a car wreck in the heart of uptown. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026 This is the first Winter Games since 2014 that has involved NHL players. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for involved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for involved
Adjective
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat, as the director-general of the board meant to oversee the implementation of the second and far more complicated phase of the ceasefire.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
  • If simple, prefabricated asymmetric carbon fibers can act as tiny actuators, engineers may not need complicated coatings or redesigns to build micro-scale devices.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Matchmakers create detailed profiles of their clients and prospective matches, including information about their dealbreakers and preferences and religious and political ideologies.
    Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Officials plan to introduce baseline rules by 2027, with more than 300 detailed standards expected by 2030.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Drinking water was not affected by the spill, officials said.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Remove leaves affected by leaf spot or black tips and any rotting roots.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • While spa treatments are not included in the price of stay, like food and most activities, there are many wellness offerings like yoga, pilates, and meditation, a full gym, and use of a giant heated swimming pool that are included for no additional fee.
    Katie Mathews, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Cassimere, who retired in 2007 after 37 years as a professor of history at the University of New Orleans, recalled finally entering the famed restaurant a year later as a member of the city's youth council, accompanying a lunch group that included a high-ranking NAACP official.
    Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Things that interested me as a child, as a teenager and as a young adult still interest me.
    Peter Larsen, Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
  • What interested me from the very start was a certain fundamental clash of cultures that the crime seemed to have exposed.
    Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • What helped the department through this trauma was the outpouring from the community – indeed, from the country and beyond – which wrapped supportive and grateful arms around the APD.
    Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Thread can become wrapped under the tongue actually cutting into the soft tissue there.
    Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • These are common but complicate long-term planning for federal agencies.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Despite differing views on a variety of security issues, the group, like Gilpatric’s, reached a clear consensus: nuclear proliferation by any additional country would diminish U.S. power, complicate strategic planning, and increase the likelihood of nuclear use, accidents, and disasters.
    MARIANO-FLORENTINO CUÉLLAR, Foreign Affairs, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Fiddle-leaf figs, with their bold, rounded leaves, pair beautifully with round motifs, while palms, with their slender, whispery fronds, are perfect for accenting more delicate or intricate prints.
    Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Almost as soon as it’s completed, this intricate system becomes invisible forever when the foundation and then the building itself are placed over it, leaving no room for errors.
    Vanessa Bates Ramirez, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Involved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/involved. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.

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