Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of instill
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin instillāre, equivalent to in- in- 2 + stillāre “to drip”; see distill
Explanation
Parents work hard to develop, or instill, positive beliefs and values in their children. Interestingly, there's no corresponding word for when parents pass down their bad habits. Instill comes from the Latin verb stillare, meaning "to drip." For some people, this word provides an apt metaphor for the way that parents and teachers cultivate understanding in young learners, patiently introducing wisdom "drop by drop." (Of course, for others, instill conjures up the image of a persistently dripping faucet that just won't be quiet.)
Vocabulary lists containing instill
I Am Malala
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Fever 1793
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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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:
To make up for this, Gray’s team tried to enlist several leading academic historians to instill more of an overarching narrative structure.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
Helping him learn healthy money habits could instill a sense of confidence and competence that he might not gain from simply having money handed to him.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
The goal for “Wishbone” was to make these stories accessible for children, paying homage to the source material, while aiming to instill young viewers with the interest to pick up the books themselves.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
The company employs an in-house philosopher to help instill morality in its AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
The more intriguing aspect of children’s play is that it naturally incorporates the integration and multimodality that we attempt to instill during education such as dance, drama, and music.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Before his 2011 death, Shockley instilled a philosophical hunger and love of language in his grandson — who later put a photo of the two of them on the cover of 2023’s “Ways of Knowing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
The airstrikes have instilled deep fear in Ecuadoran fishermen.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Despite their fame, the children's parents and manager have instilled in them an "education-first" mentality.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Suwa nevertheless instilled in the fledgling ballerina a discipline and rigor that would carry Morishita through her career.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
But the terror they instilled in me had possession over my body and soul.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Carlos Beltrán credits his father with instilling his work ethic by winning “perfect attendance” certificates every year for 35 years at his company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
The idea is that prevention is better than a cure when it comes to instilling financial responsibility in young people.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026
Not only in picking up 11 points from seven games to preserve the club's top-flight status, but his growing influence is instilling belief in the squad.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
In the vast majority of cases, he said, instilling trust in customers is now more important than being able to show off technical genius.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
If his upbringing at the abbey had specialized in anything, it was instilling a profound sense of unworthiness.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
