involved
Americanadjective
-
very intricate or complex.
an involved reply.
- Synonyms:
- tangled, knotty, complicated
- Antonyms:
- simple
-
implicated.
involved in crime.
-
concerned in some affair, especially in a way likely to cause danger or unpleasantness.
I didn't call the police because I didn't want to get involved.
-
committed or engaged, as in a political cause or artistic movement.
The civil rights demonstration attracted the involved young people of the area.
adjective
-
complicated; difficult to comprehend
an involved literary style
-
(usually postpositive) concerned or implicated
one of the men involved
-
euphemistic having sexual relations
she was involved with a number of men
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of involved
Explanation
Being involved means being a part of something or associated with it. If you volunteer on a team to clean up the playground, you're involved in making it a safer and more fun place for kids to play. Involved is an adjective with many different uses. It can describe something difficult or complicated, as in "really involved instructions for putting together a plane model," or it describes relationships and partnerships, like when you’re involved with someone in a serious dating relationship or are involved in helping out as a tutor after school. You can be involved in more negative situations, too, as when a country is involved in spying on another or a group is involved in plotting a crime.
Vocabulary lists containing involved
Thirteen Reasons Why
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Speaking Up"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Kids Like Me: Voices of the Immigrant Experience"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Planning for the strike had involved an AI targeting system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Ulster back row Timoney, 31, previously struggled to regularly break into the side despite strong form for his province, but selection against Argentina means he will be involved in his ninth consecutive Test.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
“It’s why sometimes I won’t take a hard line on something, because I talk to the deputies involved and they say they need discretion.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
He was also involved in the huge and sometimes violent democracy rallies in 2019, which prompted Beijing to impose the national security law on Hong Kong the following year.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Culver family of rural Sycamore Township was involved in an accident with an automobile last Thursday.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
