insert

American  

[in-surt, in-surt] / ɪnˈsɜrt, ˈɪn sɜrt /

verb (used with object)

1. to put or place in.

   to insert a key in a lock.

2. to introduce or cause to be introduced into the body of something.

   to insert an extra paragraph in an article.

---

noun

1. something inserted or to be inserted.

2. an extra leaf or section, printed independently, for binding or tipping into a book or periodical, especially a leaf or section consisting of an illustration or advertisement printed on different paper.

3. any small picture, device, etc., surrounded partly or completely by body type.

4. a paper, circular, etc., placed within the folds of a newspaper or the leaves of a book, periodical, etc.

5. Movies, Radio and Television. cut-in

insert British  

verb

1. to put in or between; introduce

2. to introduce, as into text, such as a newspaper; interpolate

---

noun

1. something inserted

2. 1. a folded section placed in another for binding in with a book

   2. a printed sheet, esp one bearing advertising, placed loose between the leaves of a book, periodical, etc

3. another word for cut in

Other Word Forms

• insertable adjective
• inserter noun
• interinsert verb (used with object)
• preinsert verb (used with object)
• reinsert verb (used with object)
• subinsert verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of insert

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin insertus, past participle of inserere “to put in, insert,” equivalent to in- “in” + ser- (stem of serere “to link together”) + -tus past participle suffix; in- ²

Explanation

When you insert something or someone, you put it into something else. You could insert yourself into a conversation, or you could insert a comma into the sentence you just wrote. The verb insert comes from the Latin in-, meaning “into,” and serere, meaning "to join." When you insert yourself into a conversation, you’re joining in, whether your friends want you to or not. Insert can also mean to fit snugly into, or to tuck. You might fit a card into an envelope that fits it perfectly, or insert first one leg and then another into a pair of tights.

Example Sentences

The app, released last year, allowed people to insert themselves into famous movie scenes, among other functions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

If his defining characteristic weren’t competence, Piggy could easily insert him into a cover of “Manchild” instead of duetting with Carpenter in a performance of “Islands in the Stream.”

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

It accused Nexstar of pushing “to gut severance pay and insert onerous provisions into the union contract that limit workers’ ability to freely negotiate the terms of their own employment.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Then, Neuralink uses a robot to insert microscopic threads into the brain.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

Senator Gravel asked for the unanimous consent of all subcommittee members to insert the rest of the Pentagon Papers into the public record.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• embed
• enter
• fill in
• imbed
• implant
• include
• inject
• introduce
• stick