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Synonyms

involve

American

[in-volv] / ɪnˈvɒlv /

verb (used with object)

to include as a necessary circumstance, condition, or consequence; imply; entail.

This job involves long hours and hard work.

Synonyms:

demand, require, necessitate
to engage or employ.
to affect, as something within the scope of operation.
to include, contain, or comprehend within itself or its scope.
to bring into an intricate or complicated form or condition.
to bring into difficulties (usually followed bywith ).

The investigation discovered a plot to involve one nation in a war with another.
to cause to be troublesomely associated or concerned, as in something embarrassing or unfavorable.

Don't involve me in your quarrel!

Antonyms:

extricate
to combine inextricably (usually followed bywith ).
to implicate, as in guilt or crime, or in any matter or affair.
to engage the interests or emotions or commitment of.

The professor involved many students in the disarmament movement.
Her husband became involved with another woman.
to preoccupy or absorb fully (usually used passively or reflexively).

You are much too involved with the problem to see it clearly.
to envelop or enfold, as if with a wrapping.
to swallow up, engulf, or overwhelm.
1. Archaic. to roll, surround, or shroud, as in a wrapping.
2. to roll up on itself; wind spirally; coil; wreathe.

involve British

/ ɪnˈvɒlv /

verb

to include or contain as a necessary part

the task involves hard work
to have an effect on; spread to

the investigation involved many innocent people
(often passive; usually foll by in or with) to concern or associate significantly

many people were involved in the crime
(often passive) to make complicated; tangle

the situation was further involved by her disappearance
rare to wrap or surround
obsolete maths to raise to a specified power

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

involve Idioms

see get involved with.

Synonym Usage

Involve, entangle, implicate imply getting a person connected or bound up with something from which it is difficult to be freed. To involve is to bring more or less deeply into something, especially of a complicated, embarrassing, or troublesome nature: I'd rather not to involve someone else in my debt. To entangle (usually passive or reflexive) is to involve so deeply in a tangle as to confuse and make helpless: The candidate tended to entangle himself in a mass of contradictory statements. To implicate is to connect a person with something discreditable or wrong: She was implicated in a plot to assassinate the governor.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of involve

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English involven, from Latin involvere “to roll in or up,” equivalent to in- in- ² + volvere “to roll”; see revolve

Explanation

To involve means to connect. When you get involved in the Spanish Club, you attend meetings and events. If doing math well is involved in understanding advanced chemistry, that means it's a necessary part of it. When someone is very involved, it means they are engaged or connected to a lot of activities. When someone is self-involved, all they connect with is him or herself. If getting ice cream involves walking a mile to the ice cream shop, the exercise offsets the indulgence. When no exercise is involved, it's less healthy.

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Vocabulary lists containing involve

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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:

involve involves involved involving

It also said it is completing the purchase of drilling rigs for the new project, which would initially involve two blocks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

But this is just an opinion, and longer-term bonds also involve plenty of price volatility.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

One project the company has eyed up would involve boring tunnels for an underground freight-distribution system around airports and warehouses.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

They don’t involve fancy gym equipment or even much time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

Janae and I exchange looks, because we already have our lives figured out and they don’t involve these new boys across the street.

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's strategy involves a search for new markets, a focus on domestic trade and the launch of major projects.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Her strategy involves modernizing the company—for instance, it put in place an AI-enabled digital pathology system that promises faster turnaround times.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The lawsuit involves eight Disney-owned ABC stations whose license renewals were moved up years ahead of schedule.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

While salmonella cases can happen any time, this outbreak involves a specific, identical strain.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Such a test usually involves controlled conditions, and often requires special equipment.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Skowronska-Krawczyk studies the molecular processes involved in age-related eye diseases to better understand how aging affects vision.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

Laura's effort involved countless early mornings and weekends away, remote routes, wild camping, and hiking in every kind of weather imaginable.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

"I want to be involved in all formats of the game because it's a wonderful place to be," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

During his apprenticeship as a people transformation analyst at Barclays, Rankin skipped the entry-level grunt work and got to be involved in complex projects with senior figures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Ninety percent of my conversations with Skye and Madi involved harmless gossip: Did Violet Pennington kiss Theo Harris on the lips or is Theo lying?

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Collisions between two oxygen nuclei generate a relatively rounded pattern, while collisions involving neon create a distinctive bowling-pin-shaped pattern.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

An oversight battle involving changes to contracts is also playing out in other states.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

South Korea's foreign ministry declined to comment when asked by AFP about the concerns involving Russia.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

The Minneapolis-based company, which also sells under the Calco brand, said it hasn’t received any reports of illnesses involving the sprouts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

And the third—now being prepared—is something boring involving kale, radishes, and walnuts.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023