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 Caden is a senior and is very involved at Bullitt Central. Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 27 Sep. 2024 The Rules of Neutrality outlined Washington’s belief that the United States shouldn’t become involved in European wars after the American Revolution. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2024 Hayworth’s youngest daughter also became heavily involved in philanthropy. Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2024 Despite so many differences in the c. elegans anatomy from anything mammalian, this sounds pretty involved! John Werner, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for involved 

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 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

involved

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

More from Merriam-Webster on involved

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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