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
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List 4
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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:
Their gestures were filmed as they recorded their lines, so that animators could incorporate those mannerisms into the movie.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
Companies like Snowflake, Vercel and OpenRouter all incorporate DeepSeek in their offerings to customers.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
For Tedesco, who grew up Catholic in a small town, it was important to create a space on campus for Christian representation, where students like her could incorporate their faith in day-to-day life and community.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2026
After Neu5Gc is consumed, the body absorbs it and can incorporate it into human tissues.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
Of course the sagging mattress analogy can take us only so far because it doesn’t incorporate the effect of time.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
Maximum parsimony identifies evolutionary relationships that require the fewest changes in characteristics, while Bayesian tip-dating also incorporates statistical estimates of evolutionary history and information about when fossils lived.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
Expanding on that idea, Ashe incorporates the ebullient sound of a New Orleans funeral band in the song's closing moments.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Comedy Playground’s curriculum incorporates stand-up, led by Spies, which helps kids find their own voice, and improv, led by Katey Mushlin, which teaches them how to work with others and create meaningful bonds, Spies explained.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Let’s begin with an example that incorporates only state and local income-tax brackets, with the most commonly cited benchmark bond.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
The chaffinch listens to other chaffinches, and incorporates into his memory snatches of their songs.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
Measuring just centimeters across, the device could be incorporated into portable electronics and wearable health technology.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
Repeated pulses of light stimulated the cells to contract, strengthening the muscle tissue before it was incorporated into the swimming robot.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
Doctors told us the hospital was not incorporated into the base and said they visited it to pick up medical equipment during the war.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
She noted that Anthropic, which is incorporated as a public benefit corporation, already has a reputation for its focus on helping society.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
They incorporated Western dyes into their weaving, became silversmiths and ranchers, and now drive trucks while continuing to live in traditional dwellings.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
That point was reinforced by Tracey Dunn, from the Allergy UK incorporating Anaphylaxis UK organisation, who also spoke to teachers at Regent House School.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Meanwhile, the building’s interiors will draw inspiration from Miami’s tropical surroundings, incorporating greenery, natural woods, stone finishes, and textured materials to create a calming atmosphere.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
She started by incorporating a pair of Freightliner eCascadia, then took a chance on Nikola.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
Then, incorporating this week’s lesson, white balsamic or apple cider vinegar keeps the root vegetables’ sweetness from becoming cloying.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
We have grown into everywhere, spreading like a new growth over the entire surface, touching and affecting every other kind of life, incorporating ourselves.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
