insertion

American  

[in-sur-shuhn] / ɪnˈsɜr ʃən /

noun

• insertions
  plural

1. the act of inserting.

   the insertion of a coin in a vending machine.

2. something inserted.

   an insertion in the middle of a paragraph.

3. Botany, Zoology.

   1. the manner or place of attachment, as of an organ.

   2. attachment of a part or organ, with special reference to the site or manner of such attachment.

4. lace, embroidery, or the like, to be sewn at each edge between parts of other material.

5. Aerospace. injection.

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insertion British  

/ ɪnˈsɜːʃən /

noun

1. the act of inserting or something that is inserted

2. a word, sentence, correction, etc, inserted into text, such as a newspaper

3. a strip of lace, embroidery, etc, between two pieces of material

4. anatomy the point or manner of attachment of a muscle to the bone that it moves

5. botany the manner or point of attachment of one part to another

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noninsertion
  noun
• preinsertion
  noun
• reinsertion
  noun
• subinsertion
  noun
• insertional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• insertions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of insertion

First recorded in 1570–80, insertion is from the Late Latin word insertiōn- (stem of insertiō ). See insert, -ion

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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

See Examples For:

insertion insertions

The technology allows for the insertion of what ElevenLabs calls "emotion tags" -- indicators that control the tone of the voice being replicated.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

According to some outside medical experts, she likely “survived the procedure because the drug, pentobarbital, probably poured into tissue surrounding the insertion sites instead of entering her bloodstream.”

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

“Successful orbital insertion burn. Starship is in orbit,” Jake Berkowitz, a SpaceX propulsion engineer, said on the company’s livestream.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026

Roman used far less fuel than expected during its first course correction, carried additional propellant at launch, and is projected to conserve even more during its second mid-course correction and orbital insertion.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 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 insertions of social criticism seem especially misplaced, because the core of this compact novel is so tough and powerful.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025

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

By eight o’clock in the morning, the teams had begun their insertions.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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Related Words

• infusion
• injection

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