insert

American  

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

verb (used with object)

• inserts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• inserted,
  past participle,  past
• inserting
  present participle

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

• inserts
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inserts
  plural

Participles

• inserting
  present
• inserted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• insert
  simple
• inserts
  simple
• have inserted
  perfect
• has inserted
  perfect
• am inserting
  progressive
• are inserting
  progressive
• is inserting
  progressive
• have been inserting
  perfect progressive
• has been inserting
  perfect progressive

Past

• inserted
  simple
• had inserted
  perfect
• was inserting
  progressive
• were inserting
  progressive
• had been inserting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will insert
  simple
• will have inserted
  perfect
• will be inserting
  progressive
• will have been inserting
  perfect progressive

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; see 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

See Examples For:

insert inserts inserted inserting

And for the simplest possible showstopper, Frieda’s Hulas Ready-to-Drink Coconuts come peeled and prepped with a tool that lets you open them and insert a straw in seconds.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

It was decided to bury the objects rather than insert them in a statue.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Setting up in Cairo in May 1943, Young’s brief was to cultivate local spy networks; gather intelligence; insert agents and operatives in Greece to guide the commandos; sabotage enemy infrastructure; and prepare for D-Day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

"The team attempted to insert a central line pursuant to the protocol, but the procedure was unsuccessful," the statement continued.

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

She walked with him to the elevator, then showed him how to insert his room key card into the slot to gain access to the twenty-first floor.

From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar

Pharrell’s ad-libs and inserts interrupting the groove at perfect intervals to wake up the dancefloor.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

The draft communique inserts previously unused language targeting "freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits" while separately calling for "unimpeded" passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

And then there’s Stuf Storage, a start-up that inserts storage spaces into existing, and often very handsome, buildings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

And a Finnish project called Fold2 has explored using intricately folded cardboard to make packaging inserts designed to protect products during shipping.

From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026

The assistant director inserts matching keys into those holes; they unlock what looks like five different shafts.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

He inserted himself into negotiations for the Air Force One and the F-35 jet fighter programs, directed design changes to the Constellation-class frigate and championed the creation of Trump-class battleships.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Other items have also been known to be inserted into a skinsuit around the chest area to smooth airflow around the body.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

China’s move came after a post on online forum Reddit last week alleged that Anthropic had secretly inserted code into the software to identify users who accessed it from China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

A year later, Congress inserted a significant carbon capture subsidy into the tax code — though it didn’t require coal plants to adopt it.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

He was told that his passport would be taken apart and then new pages would be inserted.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Spend enough years standing behind pyramids of hamburgers, posing at fry stations and inserting yourself into the iconography of American restaurant chains, and eventually the props begin to accrue meanings of their own.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

It involves inserting electrodes made of materials such as zinc and copper into substances that contain moisture or ions, and then collecting the small but steady electrical currents.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Usually, treatment involves inserting a needle into the womb to either drain some of the fluid or seal blood vessels using a laser.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Coach Rod Brind’Amour benched starting goalie Frederik Andersen in Game 3, inserting Brandon Bussi, who then led the team to three straight wins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Reb Saunders had stopped inserting deliberate errors into his Shabbat evening talks the week we had entered college, but the memory of it still rankled.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

Related Words

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