Showing results for "embedded"

• past participle of embed.
• past tense form of embed.

embedded

American  

[em-bed-id] / ɛmˈbɛd ɪd /

Sometimes imbedded

adjective

1. fixed or snugly enclosed in a surrounding mass.

   The young turtles are weighed, measured, and tagged with an embedded microchip before being released back into the salt marsh.

2. incorporated into something as an essential characteristic.

   In any cultural context, deeply embedded values and attitudes can be difficult to change.

3. 1. being or relating to a journalist assigned to travel with a military unit or political campaign.

      He was an embedded reporter with the First Marine Division during the invasion of Iraq.

   2. working closely with a group or participating in a special event as an invited expert, creative professional, etc..

      As Radio 3’s first embedded composer, he is writing one new piece of music a week for the breakfast show.

4. Digital Technology. (of text, images, sound, or code) placed in a computer file, HTML document, software program, or electronic device.

   Click here or watch the embedded video below to learn more about the work of our Foundation.

5. Grammar. (of a construction, as a phrase or clause) inserted into a larger construction, as a clause or sentence.

   Informative texts often include unfamiliar technical vocabulary and complex sentences with embedded clauses.

6. Histology. (of biological tissue) infiltrated with melted paraffin or other such material that later solidifies, enabling the preparation to be sliced very thin for viewing under a microscope (sometimes used in combination).

   The fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues were cut into sections 5 μm thick and mounted on glass slides.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of embed.

Etymology

Origin of embedded

embed ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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Explanation

The adjective embedded describes something that is encased in a surrounding substance. On a walking tour of Fredericksburg, Virginia, you can see buildings with embedded Civil War cannonballs. Embedded also means to insert as part of a whole. In wartime, embedded journalists are stationed with military units so that they can make first-hand reports on the news, and so that viewers can have a more in-depth understanding of issues facing the soldiers. This use arose during the Iraq war in 2003. Embedded comes from the verb embed, which originally applied to materials embedded in rocks, such as fossils.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

embedded

"This work shows that high-quality spectral information doesn't have to be confined to the laboratory -- it can be embedded directly into the technologies people use every day."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

The decision follows a report in The Telegraph which said embedded civil servants had been engaging in editorial tasks and raised questions about a breach of impartiality rules.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

With that strange mental image firmly embedded in my brain, it’s time for me to dip out.

From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026

Proponents of max-cushion shoes, particularly those with an embedded carbon plate, point to studies that suggest the shoes improve running economy and performance by 4% and 2%, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

If you have a barn, and it’s still standing in the morning, it’ll have rocks and keys and bolts embedded in the wood like they were shot from cannon.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

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Related Words

• fixed
• ingrained
• installed
• planted

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