incorporate
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
incorporates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
incorporated,
past participle, past
-
incorporating
present participle
-
to form into a legal corporation.
-
to put or introduce into a body or mass as an integral part or parts.
to incorporate revisions into a text.
-
to take in or include as a part or parts, as the body or a mass does.
His book incorporates his earlier essay.
-
to form or combine into one body or uniform substance, as ingredients.
- Synonyms:
- personify, amalgamate, mix, blend, assimilate, absorb
-
His book incorporates all his thinking on the subject.
-
to form into a society or organization.
verb (used without object)
-
incorporates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
incorporated,
past participle, past
-
incorporating
present participle
-
to form a legal corporation.
-
to unite or combine so as to form one body.
adjective
-
legally incorporated, as a company.
-
combined into one body, mass, or substance.
-
Archaic. embodied.
adjective
verb
-
to include or be included as a part or member of a united whole
-
to form or cause to form a united whole or mass; merge or blend
-
to form (individuals, an unincorporated enterprise, etc) into a corporation or other organization with a separate legal identity from that of its owners or members
adjective
-
combined into a whole; incorporated
-
formed into or constituted as a corporation
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
incorporatesimple
-
incorporatessimple
-
have incorporatedperfect
-
has incorporatedperfect
-
am incorporatingprogressive
-
are incorporatingprogressive
-
is incorporatingprogressive
-
have been incorporatingperfect progressive
-
has been incorporatingperfect progressive
Past
-
incorporatedsimple
-
had incorporatedperfect
-
was incorporatingprogressive
-
were incorporatingprogressive
-
had been incorporatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of incorporate1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Late Latin incorporātus, past participle of incorporāre “to embody, incarnate”; see in- 2, corporate
Origin of incorporate2
First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin incorporātus “not embodied”; see in- 3, corporate
Explanation
To incorporate is to include or integrate a part into the whole. Incorporate is a more active version of the word "include"; if you incorporate, you are adding something to the mix. In the business world, to incorporate is a legal process. In other usages, the word incorporate really just means to include something or work something into whatever was already existing. You could incorporate your new roommate's furniture into the decor of your apartment, but you may not find a way to incorporate her cat's litter box.
Vocabulary lists containing incorporate
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Recipe for Success: Thanksgiving Cooking Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The first commercial fitness tracker to incorporate sleep analysis was the Fitbit Classic in 2009.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The research is the first scientific study to incorporate observations collected during Hera's flyby of Deimos.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
We decided that since Robert Michael’s death happened during that second 10-year hiatus, we had to find a way to incorporate that history into the Valerie and Mickey storyline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Ahead of the joint exercises, U.S. and South Korean officials said they would incorporate responses to lessons drawn from North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia, including drone tactics that Pyongyang has acquired on the battlefield.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
All educators can incorporate the basic techniques used in these methods as they offer creative, arts-driven curricula through which to teach.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
He helped popularize Egyptian jeel music: a genre that incorporates elements of reggae and pop, while maintaining a distinctly Egyptian sound.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
She found it so effective that she learnt about other breathing techniques and incorporates them into her work as a life coach.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The framework incorporates a lightweight Transformer architecture designed to account for hydrological memory and delayed effects within mountainous catchments.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Harvey yesterday unveiled a major update, Harvey II, that incorporates memory into the platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
String theory has further spawned something called "M theory," which incorporates surfaces known as membranes–or simply "branes" to the hipper souls of the world of physics.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Becky Davis, who told the council that she and her husband owned a gun store in Goleta long before the city incorporated in 2002, said: “You zoned me out of business, literally.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Many concert-goers also wore bindis, inspired by Lara, who has proudly incorporated her Asian heritage into her aesthetic.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Researchers used artificial intelligence to determine which combination of biomarkers provided the most useful diagnostic information and then incorporated those markers into a clinical decision tool.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026
Ms. Rubel detours into a lengthy discussion of the term “melting pot,” wherein immigrant food traditions become incorporated into the larger American cuisine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Several weeks earlier Bragg had come into the lab greatly excited about an idea that came to him the previous evening, one that he and Perutz subsequently incorporated in their paper.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
Ashley Bleckner, a wealth adviser at Ellevest in San Diego, says incorporating pet care into a younger person’s limited budget means your emergency fund isn’t just for your own emergencies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
"That includes several audits. They have now reconciled their historical data, and recently they published a revised bulletin with the historical data, incorporating the findings of the debt," she said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Hernandez said this finding highlights the potential value of incorporating positive psychology strategies into long-term cardiovascular treatment and prevention.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
Alabama grandmother Kristina Hadley also promotes the programme to friends and family - even incorporating Imagination Library into baby gifts.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
He was versatile, and Major Major soon found himself incorporating the signature in fragments of imaginary dialogues.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
