embed
Americanverb (used with object)
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embeds,
present (3rd person singular)
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embedded,
past participle, past
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embedding
present participle
-
to fix into a surrounding mass.
to embed stones in cement.
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to surround tightly or firmly; envelop or enclose.
Thick cotton padding embedded the precious vase in its box.
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to incorporate or contain as an essential part or characteristic.
A love of color is embedded in all of her paintings.
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Histology. to infiltrate (a biological tissue) with molten paraffin or other plastic material that later solidifies, enabling the preparation to be sliced very thin for viewing under a microscope.
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Mathematics. to map (a set) into another set.
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Grammar. to insert (a construction, as a phrase or clause) into a larger construction, as a clause or sentence.
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to assign (a journalist) to travel with a military unit or a political campaign: We've embedded a reporter with each of the presidential candidates.
The photojournalists were embedded in Afghanistan with U.S. troops.
We've embedded a reporter with each of the presidential candidates.
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to invite (an expert, creative professional, etc.) to work closely with a group or participate in a special event.
We have embedded writers within our acting companies, and now have playwrights writing pieces for the actors they are working with.
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Digital Technology. to place (text, images, sound, or computer code) in a computer file, HTML document, software program, or electronic device.
Here's how to embed videos on your website.
verb (used without object)
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embeds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
embedded,
past participle, past
-
embedding
present participle
noun
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a person who has been embedded, as with a military unit.
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a period of time during which a person is embedded.
verb
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(usually foll by in) to fix or become fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding solid mass
to embed a nail in wood
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(tr) to surround closely
hard rock embeds the roots
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(tr) to fix or retain (a thought, idea, etc) in the mind
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(often foll by with) to assign a journalist or be assigned as one to accompany an active military unit
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(tr) grammar to insert (a subordinate clause) into a sentence
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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embedsimple
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embedssimple
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have embeddedperfect
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has embeddedperfect
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am embeddingprogressive
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are embeddingprogressive
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is embeddingprogressive
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have been embeddingperfect progressive
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has been embeddingperfect progressive
Past
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embeddedsimple
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had embeddedperfect
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was embeddingprogressive
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were embeddingprogressive
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had been embeddingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of embed
Explanation
The verb embed means to implant something or someone — like to embed a stone into a garden pathway or to embed a journalist in a military unit. When you stick something firmly within a particular environment, you are embedding it. If you are an archeologist, you might spend a lot of your time looking for pottery shards embedded in the earth. If you are a web site designer, you might embed video clips on web pages. And if your newspaper is covering a war overseas, you might consider embedding a journalist in a military troop in order to have a source reporting back from the front lines.
Vocabulary lists containing embed
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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:
To help embed him in L.A.’s dining culture and lead the kitchen day to day, he hired Wally’s and Patina alum Ryan Kluver.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
The programme is part of the National Year of Reading 2026, which aims to inspire the joy of reading and embed it in daily life.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The idea was to embed prevention specialists within targeting teams and foster a culture that prioritizes civilian security in accordance with U.S. law and international rules of war.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
On the commercial side, she said the cuts would build on Microsoft's $2.5 billion push, announced last week, to embed 6,000 engineers with major clients to accelerate AI adoption.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
I remove pots of ground graphite from my beauty caisse and embed the flakes in the shafts of hair, so now the strands almost shimmer.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
The paper also embeds satellite images showing "three huge storms fuelled by El Niño moving across the Pacific".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
“Conversely, our 6300 bear case embeds a slowdown in AI capex and tighter financial conditions.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Another issue for Microsoft has been its suite of Copilot AI tools, which embeds AI assistants into Microsoft’s Office, Teams and GitHub software.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
In contrast, holographic data storage embeds information throughout the volume of a material using laser light.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 29, 2026
If a heavy shoe at a yellow heat be held tightly pressed against a hoof which has been pared too thin, till it embeds itself, serious damage may be done.
From Special Report on Diseases of the Horse by Charles B. Michener
On Friday, a group of independent AI evaluation organizations called the AI Evaluator Forum published a public letter outlining a general framework for embedded evaluators.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan was also selected, with the prize recognising how the country has embedded environmental protection into its national identity and constitution.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Maybe it’s embedded human instinct, an afterglow of developing self-awareness of our own mortality, to consider existential risks.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
The autonomy ethic that is so comfortable for non-Orthodox Jewish Americans can be seen as diametrically opposed to the ideas of divine command and judgment that are so deeply embedded in traditional Judaism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
They each lead to a tall, metal hangar door embedded in the wall, spaced out evenly.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
It’s as if he recognizes that so much recent blockbuster filmmaking has been about embedding heart-wrenching pathos into the nostalgic elements we know and love.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
Elsewhere, the paper reports on "Iconic Diana dresses revealed among palace archives", embedding a photo of the late Princess of Wales.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The Kochs recognize that the notion of embedding 41 distinct ideas in a business and applying them to every action might seem daunting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
He created the Defence AI Center A1 -- a hub dedicated to embedding AI in the military and using live feedback from the front to speed up the deployment of new technology.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
‘Preferably one that doesn’t involve embedding my pain in the stones.’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
