embed

American  

[em-bed, em-bed] / ɛmˈbɛd, ˈɛmˌbɛd /

Sometimes imbed

verb (used with object)

• embeds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• embedded,
  past participle,  past
• embedding
  present participle

1. to fix into a surrounding mass.

   to embed stones in cement.

2. to surround tightly or firmly; envelop or enclose.

   Thick cotton padding embedded the precious vase in its box.

3. to incorporate or contain as an essential part or characteristic.

   A love of color is embedded in all of her paintings.

4. 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.

5. Mathematics. to map (a set) into another set.

6. Grammar. to insert (a construction, as a phrase or clause) into a larger construction, as a clause or sentence.

7. 1. 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.

   2. 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.

8. 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.

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verb (used without object)

• embeds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• embedded,
  past participle,  past
• embedding
  present participle

1. to be or become fixed or incorporated, as into a surrounding mass.

   Glass embeds in the soft tar of the road.

noun

1. a person who has been embedded, as with a military unit.

2. a period of time during which a person is embedded.

embed British  

/ ɪmˈbɛd /

verb

1. (usually foll by in) to fix or become fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding solid mass

   to embed a nail in wood

2. (tr) to surround closely

   hard rock embeds the roots

3. (tr) to fix or retain (a thought, idea, etc) in the mind

4. (often foll by with) to assign a journalist or be assigned as one to accompany an active military unit

5. (tr) grammar to insert (a subordinate clause) into a sentence

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noun

1. a journalist accompanying an active military unit

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• embedment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• embedding
  present
• embedded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• embed
  simple
• embeds
  simple
• have embedded
  perfect
• has embedded
  perfect
• am embedding
  progressive
• are embedding
  progressive
• is embedding
  progressive
• have been embedding
  perfect progressive
• has been embedding
  perfect progressive

Past

• embedded
  simple
• had embedded
  perfect
• was embedding
  progressive
• were embedding
  progressive
• had been embedding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will embed
  simple
• will have embedded
  perfect
• will be embedding
  progressive
• will have been embedding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of embed

First recorded in 1770–80; em- ¹ + bed

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

embed embeds embedded embedding

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

Amazon Web Services will embed “thousands of experts with customers to co-develop and deploy agentic AI solutions in days,” Francessca Vasquez, Amazon’s vice president of frontier AI, shared in a press release.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

OpenAI and Anthropic make money in part by selling access to their APIs, which customers use to embed their AI into custom projects and tools without having to build their own models from scratch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

At least I won’t have to actually “listen” to the lectures, since the En Cognito device that puts us to sleep is also programmed to embed those topics directly into our brains.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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

"Instead, what matters is sustained advantage: who leads in capability, who embeds AI most effectively across their economy, and who sets global standards."

From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026

The energy sector has done very well this year as prices have risen, and Barclays strategists recognize this embeds a very aggressive outlook for oil for much of the year.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 24, 2026

A prolonged one tightens balances quickly and embeds higher costs across freight, insurance, and delivered fuel prices.

From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 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

Music is embedded in our brains and in our bodies, expressed with every rhythmic breath and step we take, each time we clap our hands, stomp our feet, beat our chests, whistle, hum or sing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Last year, he embedded with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials during raids, including in Chicago, where he and his crew taped arrests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

You deduct fair market value, subject to a 30%-of-AGI limit instead of the 60% limit for cash, and the embedded gain is never taxed by anyone.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Something as embedded and sentimental as street food doesn’t just vanish.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

The janitor took pity on me and cleaned off the wall above my locker, even though I can still see the flecks of red crayon embedded in the crannies of the painted cinder blocks.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

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

"By embedding these microbes, plastics could effectively 'come alive' and self-destruct on command, turning durability from a problem into a programmable feature," explains Dai.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

"Hottest June Day ever" is the Daily Star's headline, embedding a close-up photo showing a streak of sweat trickling down the side of King Charles III's face.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

They tricked image recognition systems into mistaking photographs of cats for guacamole, and found new ways of embedding inaudible Alexa commands into five-second snippets of classical music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

“I have been referred to Dr. Viftas in Santiago—” “And you would be very grateful for the captain’s leniency in allowing you to go,” Patria reminded me, embedding my request in her scold.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• bury
• enclose
• fix
• ingrain
• inlay
• insert
• install
• lodge