insertion
Americannoun
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insertions
plural
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the act of inserting.
the insertion of a coin in a vending machine.
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something inserted.
an insertion in the middle of a paragraph.
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Botany, Zoology.
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the manner or place of attachment, as of an organ.
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attachment of a part or organ, with special reference to the site or manner of such attachment.
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lace, embroidery, or the like, to be sewn at each edge between parts of other material.
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Aerospace. injection.
noun
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the act of inserting or something that is inserted
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a word, sentence, correction, etc, inserted into text, such as a newspaper
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a strip of lace, embroidery, etc, between two pieces of material
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anatomy the point or manner of attachment of a muscle to the bone that it moves
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botany the manner or point of attachment of one part to another
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of insertion
First recorded in 1570–80, insertion is from the Late Latin word insertiōn- (stem of insertiō ). See insert, -ion
Explanation
An insertion is when you put something into another thing, like the insertion of a key into a lock, or the insertion of a comment into a conversation. You probably notice that the noun insertion contains the verb insert, meaning “put in.” An insertion is something that’s put into something else. It can be used literally to describe, for example, the insertion of a page in a binder, but it also can be used more figuratively. For example, the insertion of the president into office happens every four years. And your brother may constantly make insertions into discussions he knows nothing about.
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:
Instead, the standard recommendation for pain relief during IUD insertion is to take 800 milligrams of ibuprofen an hour beforehand—a method that falls woefully short of addressing the intense discomfort experienced by many patients.
From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2026
"I wouldn't call it nominal orbital insertion," company spokesperson Dan Huot said, adding however that it was "within bounds" of a previously analyzed trajectory.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
These reactions include splitting dihydrogen and enabling the step-by-step insertion and chain growth of ethene, a simple 2-carbon hydrocarbon.
From Science Daily ● May 1, 2026
During the process, the insertion of a breathing tube damaged his vocal cords, leaving him questioning whether he would ever be able to sing again, he told The Times in 2021.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
I walked across the grassy area behind the building until I reached the Army’s insertion point, a glass door.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Many clinicians point to the paracervical block—a simple, targeted injection of a local anesthetic around the cervix—as a way to greatly reduce pain during IUD insertions.
From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2026
The centers are also adding nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, for intrauterine device insertions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
Fourth-year veterinarian student Alexandra Ponkey maneuvered the camera and the surgical tools through the insertions on the belly of a 2-year-old German Shepherd named Jackie.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2025
This kind of gene-editing can also lead to indels -- random insertions and deletions -- where the cell is not able to perfectly repair itself.
From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024
The constant probing of the president's wound, insertions of tubes, and surgical incisions created plenty of opportunities for bacteria to enter Garfield's body.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
