insertion
Americannoun
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insertions
plural
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the act of inserting.
the insertion of a coin in a vending machine.
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something inserted.
an insertion in the middle of a paragraph.
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Botany, Zoology.
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the manner or place of attachment, as of an organ.
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attachment of a part or organ, with special reference to the site or manner of such attachment.
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lace, embroidery, or the like, to be sewn at each edge between parts of other material.
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Aerospace. injection.
noun
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the act of inserting or something that is inserted
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a word, sentence, correction, etc, inserted into text, such as a newspaper
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a strip of lace, embroidery, etc, between two pieces of material
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anatomy the point or manner of attachment of a muscle to the bone that it moves
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botany the manner or point of attachment of one part to another
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of insertion
First recorded in 1570–80, insertion is from the Late Latin word insertiōn- (stem of insertiō ). See insert, -ion
Explanation
An insertion is when you put something into another thing, like the insertion of a key into a lock, or the insertion of a comment into a conversation. You probably notice that the noun insertion contains the verb insert, meaning “put in.” An insertion is something that’s put into something else. It can be used literally to describe, for example, the insertion of a page in a binder, but it also can be used more figuratively. For example, the insertion of the president into office happens every four years. And your brother may constantly make insertions into discussions he knows nothing about.
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:
According to some outside medical experts, she likely “survived the procedure because the drug, pentobarbital, probably poured into tissue surrounding the insertion sites instead of entering her bloodstream.”
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Successful orbital insertion burn. Starship is in orbit,” Jake Berkowitz, a SpaceX propulsion engineer, said on the company’s livestream.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Roman used far less fuel than expected during its first course correction, carried additional propellant at launch, and is projected to conserve even more during its second mid-course correction and orbital insertion.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Misoprostol was initially approved by the FDA for stomach ulcers and is routinely prescribed off-label to induce labor, treat postpartum hemorrhage, and prepare the cervix for IUD insertion.
From Slate ● May 18, 2026
The insertion was so good that the ground controllers cleared Glenn for seven orbits.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Many clinicians point to the paracervical block—a simple, targeted injection of a local anesthetic around the cervix—as a way to greatly reduce pain during IUD insertions.
From Slate ● Jun. 7, 2026
The centers are also adding nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, for intrauterine device insertions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
They then programmed the virus with new capabilities by introducing point mutations as well as DNA insertions and deletions.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 21, 2026
Fourth-year veterinarian student Alexandra Ponkey maneuvered the camera and the surgical tools through the insertions on the belly of a 2-year-old German Shepherd named Jackie.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2025
The constant probing of the president's wound, insertions of tubes, and surgical incisions created plenty of opportunities for bacteria to enter Garfield's body.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
