install
Americanverb (used with object)
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to place in position or connect for service or use.
to install a heating system;
to install software on a computer.
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to establish in an office, position, or place.
to install oneself in new quarters.
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to induct into an office or the like with ceremonies or formalities.
verb
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to place (machinery, equipment, etc) in position and connect and adjust for use
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to transfer (computer software) from a distribution file to a permanent location on disk, and prepare it for its particular environment and application
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to put in a position, rank, etc
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to settle (a person, esp oneself) in a position or state
she installed herself in an armchair
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of install
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word installāre. See in- 2, stall 1
Explanation
Use the verb install to mean "set up" or "put in place." You can install new software on your computer, or even install new officers to your honor society. The word install traces back to the Latin word installare, from in-, meaning “into,” and stallum, meaning “place” or “stall.” Install has to do with putting someone or something in a chosen place. For example, you might install a solar panel on your roof, install your best friend in a cushy job at your company, or install yourself at the best table in your favorite restaurant.
Vocabulary lists containing install
Catching Fire
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The Distance Between Us
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"The Prince and the Pauper," Vocabulary from the drama
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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.
Kohl’s also plans to install an extra 56 new Babies “R” Us shops within its stores during the fall.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
Latvia is to install a new government on Thursday, weeks after the previous coalition collapsed in a row over stray Ukrainian drones.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Such wage mandates will also apply to a new grant that pays public-housing agencies to install temperature sensors in apartments.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
In CPB’s Big Bend Sector project, for example, contractors were ultimately required to install cattle fencing and cattle guards — something Posillico’s lawsuit contends was not what the government originally asked of potential contractors.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
Around here, people just install a gas furnace and pump the gas smack out of the ground.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
