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Synonyms

involve

American

[in-volv] / ɪnˈvɒlv /

verb (used with object)

to include as a necessary circumstance, condition, or consequence; imply; entail.

This job involves long hours and hard work.

Synonyms:

demand, require, necessitate
to engage or employ.
to affect, as something within the scope of operation.
to include, contain, or comprehend within itself or its scope.
to bring into an intricate or complicated form or condition.
to bring into difficulties (usually followed bywith ).

The investigation discovered a plot to involve one nation in a war with another.
to cause to be troublesomely associated or concerned, as in something embarrassing or unfavorable.

Don't involve me in your quarrel!

Antonyms:

extricate
to combine inextricably (usually followed bywith ).
to implicate, as in guilt or crime, or in any matter or affair.
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.
to preoccupy or absorb fully (usually used passively or reflexively).

You are much too involved with the problem to see it clearly.
to envelop or enfold, as if with a wrapping.
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 British

/ ɪnˈvɒlv /

verb

to include or contain as a necessary part

the task involves hard work
to have an effect on; spread to

the investigation involved many innocent people
(often passive; usually foll by in or with) to concern or associate significantly

many people were involved in the crime
(often passive) to make complicated; tangle

the situation was further involved by her disappearance
rare to wrap or surround
obsolete maths to raise to a specified power

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

involve Idioms

see get involved with.

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of involve

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

Explanation

To involve means to connect. When you get involved in the Spanish Club, you attend meetings and events. If doing math well is involved in understanding advanced chemistry, that means it's a necessary part of it. When someone is very involved, it means they are engaged or connected to a lot of activities. When someone is self-involved, all they connect with is him or herself. If getting ice cream involves walking a mile to the ice cream shop, the exercise offsets the indulgence. When no exercise is involved, it's less healthy.

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Vocabulary lists containing involve

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

involve involves involved involving

These involve charitable giving, gambling losses and deductions for top-bracket taxpayers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Today, it could involve a caregiver who does not have access to this debit card.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Perhaps most intriguingly, the research suggests that treating arthritis may involve looking beyond the joints themselves.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026

But the same data, external shows that a large chunk of the arrests involve people without criminal convictions.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Still, I don’t see how this could involve Lolo—or why he’s in the cop car.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

While Binance said its US-facing exchange was unaffected, the US would still have jurisdiction to investigate the hack and help track down stolen funds - an effort which generally involves a global law enforcement effort.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

This unusual response suggests that chronic pain involves more than the processing of physical sensations.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

This is a highly complicated measure that involves jail financing and seeks to clean up some bureaucratic muddles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

This involves strengthening cooperation across all strategic sectors, Carney said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

Our lesson involves the history of the delicately negotiated peace between Orlagh, Queen of the Undersea, and the various faerie kings and queens of the land.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

I have no idea whether anyone involved in the movie are neurodivergent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

West Midlands Police had warned firm action would be taken against anyone involved in fireworks-related disorder, following serious incidents in the city during Bonfire Night last year.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

One particularly interesting finding involved the type of tea participants consumed.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

“I think he’ll be super involved with not only the party but the process, and I welcome that as the chairman.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026

Brooklyn was amazed at how many people were involved in shooting a movie.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Seven people have been arrested after disorder, involving fireworks being set off, in a city centre.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

Using experiments involving mice and human cells, the researchers discovered a previously unrecognized process that interferes with the liver's ability to clear cholesterol.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

Two examples stand out among many involving Nvidia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Targeted bacterial warnings at certain beaches and rain advisories involving water runoff are more common.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026

Katz wanted every detail of my walk home, and had elaborate plans for his defense involving a heavy ceramic lamp base and, ultimately, escape out the back window.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

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