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View synonyms for involve

involve

[ in-volv ]

verb (used with object)

, in·volved, in·volv·ing.
  1. to include as a necessary circumstance, condition, or consequence; imply; entail:

    This job involves long hours and hard work.

    Synonyms: demand, require, necessitate

  2. to engage or employ.
  3. to affect, as something within the scope of operation.
  4. to include, contain, or comprehend within itself or its scope.
  5. to bring into an intricate or complicated form or condition.
  6. to bring into difficulties (usually followed by with ):

    The investigation discovered a plot to involve one nation in a war with another.

  7. to cause to be troublesomely associated or concerned, as in something embarrassing or unfavorable:

    Don't involve me in your quarrel!

    Antonyms: extricate

  8. to combine inextricably (usually followed by with ).
  9. to implicate, as in guilt or crime, or in any matter or affair.
  10. to engage the interests or emotions or commitment of:

    The professor involved many students in the disarmament movement.

    Her husband became involved with another woman.

  11. to preoccupy or absorb fully (usually used passively or reflexively):

    You are much too involved with the problem to see it clearly.

  12. to envelop or enfold, as if with a wrapping.
  13. to swallow up, engulf, or overwhelm.
    1. Archaic. to roll, surround, or shroud, as in a wrapping.
    2. to roll up on itself; wind spirally; coil; wreathe.


involve

/ ɪnˈvɒlv /

verb

  1. to include or contain as a necessary part

    the task involves hard work

  2. to have an effect on; spread to

    the investigation involved many innocent people

  3. often passive; usually foll by in or with to concern or associate significantly

    many people were involved in the crime

  4. often passive to make complicated; tangle

    the situation was further involved by her disappearance

  5. rare.
    to wrap or surround
  6. obsolete.
    maths to raise to a specified power


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Derived Forms

  • inˈvolver, noun
  • inˈvolvement, noun

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Other Words From

  • in·volve·ment noun
  • in·volv·er noun
  • in·ter·in·volve verb (used with object) interinvolved interinvolving
  • o·ver·in·volve verb (used with object) overinvolved overinvolving
  • pre·in·volve verb (used with object) preinvolved preinvolving
  • re·in·volve verb (used with object) reinvolved reinvolving

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Word History and Origins

Origin of involve1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English involven, from Latin involvere “to roll in or up,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + volvere “to roll”; revolve

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Word History and Origins

Origin of involve1

C14: from Latin involvere to roll in, surround, from in- ² + volvere to roll

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Idioms and Phrases

see get involved with .

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Synonym Study

Involve, entangle, implicate imply getting a person connected or bound up with something from which it is difficult to be freed. To involve is to bring more or less deeply into something, especially of a complicated, embarrassing, or troublesome nature: I'd rather not to involve someone else in my debt. To entangle (usually passive or reflexive) is to involve so deeply in a tangle as to confuse and make helpless: The candidate tended to entangle himself in a mass of contradictory statements. To implicate is to connect a person with something discreditable or wrong: She was implicated in a plot to assassinate the governor.

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Example Sentences

Nelson has been involved with previous protests related to the coronavirus pandemic.

From Fortune

This involves a lot of data entry, and most states require growers to submit this information in Metrc.

Facebook will now attempt to identify groups where an admin is not involved and proactively suggest admin roles to members who may be interested.

The Pentagon is involved with the distribution of vaccines, but civilian health workers will be the ones giving shots.

From Fortune

The 737 Max was grounded March 13, 2019, three days after the second crash involving a safety feature on the plane that malfunctioned and repeatedly sent the planes into a dive toward the ground.

From Fortune

And U.S. lawmakers are pushing to involve China in any retaliation against the Sony hack.

He tells the cops and testifies at trial that Adnan threatened to hurt Stephanie or get her involve if he went to police.

Is this in any way going to involve us in getting us in there and getting us tied down there?

This year, Kalac was arrested for domestic violence in a case that apparently did not involve Coplin.

Magic and gaming involve in-depth worlds that feature both male and female characters.

There is more of artfulness in the flatteries which appear to involve a calculating intention to say the nice agreeable thing.

But this is quite enough to justify the inconsiderable expense which the experiment I urge would involve.

Let us remember that "if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom!"

The endeavor would not only be utterly unavailing, but would, with certainty, involve them in speedy and retrieveless ruin.

This might involve a month and in the meantime the enemy would have time to consolidate his position.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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