implant

American  

[im-plant, -plahnt, im-plant, -plahnt] / ɪmˈplænt, -ˈplɑnt, ˈɪmˌplænt, -ˌplɑnt /

verb (used with object)

1. to put or fix firmly.

   to implant sound principles in a child's mind.

2. to plant securely.

3. Medicine/Medical. to insert or graft (a tissue, organ, or inert substance) into the body.

---

noun

1. Medicine/Medical.

   1. any device or material, especially of an inert substance, used for repairing or replacing part of the body.

   2. medication or radioactive material inserted into tissue for sustained therapy.

   3. implantation.

2. Dentistry.

   1. an artificial tooth that has been inserted permanently into the jaw.

   2. a metal framework attached to the bones of the jaw for supporting artificial teeth.

implant British  

verb

1. to establish firmly; inculcate; instil

   to implant sound moral principles

2. to plant or embed; infix; entrench

3. surgery

   1. to graft (a tissue) into the body

   2. to insert (a radioactive substance, hormone, etc) into the tissues

---

noun

1. anything implanted, esp surgically, such as a tissue graft or hormone

implant Scientific  

1. Something that is placed, usually surgically, within a living body, as grafted tissue or a medical device, such as a pacemaker.

---

1. To become attached to and embedded in the maternal uterine lining. Used of a fertilized egg.

Other Word Forms

• implanter
  noun
• unimplanted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of implant

First recorded in 1535–45; im- ¹ + plant

Explanation

When you implant something, you place or embed it solidly: you might implant marbles in the damp concrete of a newly poured sidewalk, for example. There are a couple of different ways to implant something — the first is to physically fix an item deeply, the way you might implant a croquet wicket in the ground. A more figurative way to implant is to settle an idea into someone's mind. You could accidentally implant a fear of highway driving in your younger brother's mind, for example, by telling him stories of traffic accidents. Implant comes from the French word implanter, "to insert."

Example Sentences

Trial data released in March found that the implant was just as effective at preventing strokes as standard daily blood thinners, and significantly safer when it came to bleeding risks.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

Neuralink has also been running a clinical trial testing an implant designed to restore speech since last October.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

Most Americans with private insurers are on high-deductable plans, while the growing view among patients and insurers is that cochlear implant procedures are semielective, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

In Chloe’s case, she began the pregnancy process by contracting with a fertility clinic to implant an embryo conceived with Silvia’s egg and Fausto’s sperm.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

He knew from Leo’s YouTube videos that the artist was fitted with a cochlear implant, which allowed him to hear, but not quite at the level of a hearing person.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• embed
• fix
• instill