insert

American  

[in-surt, in-surt] / ɪnˈsɜrt, ˈɪn sɜrt /

verb (used with object)

• inserts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• inserted,
  past participle,  past
• inserting
  present participle

1. to put or place in.

   to insert a key in a lock.

2. to introduce or cause to be introduced into the body of something.

   to insert an extra paragraph in an article.

---

noun

• inserts
  plural

1. something inserted or to be inserted.

2. an extra leaf or section, printed independently, for binding or tipping into a book or periodical, especially a leaf or section consisting of an illustration or advertisement printed on different paper.

3. any small picture, device, etc., surrounded partly or completely by body type.

4. a paper, circular, etc., placed within the folds of a newspaper or the leaves of a book, periodical, etc.

5. Movies, Radio and Television. cut-in

insert British  

verb

1. to put in or between; introduce

2. to introduce, as into text, such as a newspaper; interpolate

---

noun

1. something inserted

2. 1. a folded section placed in another for binding in with a book

   2. a printed sheet, esp one bearing advertising, placed loose between the leaves of a book, periodical, etc

3. another word for cut in

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• inserter
  noun
• interinsert
  verb (used with object)
• preinsert
  verb (used with object)
• reinsert
  verb (used with object)
• subinsert
  verb (used with object)
• insertable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inserts
  plural

Participles

• inserting
  present
• inserted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• insert
  simple
• inserts
  simple
• have inserted
  perfect
• has inserted
  perfect
• am inserting
  progressive
• are inserting
  progressive
• is inserting
  progressive
• have been inserting
  perfect progressive
• has been inserting
  perfect progressive

Past

• inserted
  simple
• had inserted
  perfect
• was inserting
  progressive
• were inserting
  progressive
• had been inserting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will insert
  simple
• will have inserted
  perfect
• will be inserting
  progressive
• will have been inserting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of insert

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin insertus, past participle of inserere “to put in, insert,” equivalent to in- “in” + ser- (stem of serere “to link together”) + -tus past participle suffix; see in- ²

Explanation

When you insert something or someone, you put it into something else. You could insert yourself into a conversation, or you could insert a comma into the sentence you just wrote. The verb insert comes from the Latin in-, meaning “into,” and serere, meaning "to join." When you insert yourself into a conversation, you’re joining in, whether your friends want you to or not. Insert can also mean to fit snugly into, or to tuck. You might fit a card into an envelope that fits it perfectly, or insert first one leg and then another into a pair of tights.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

insert inserts inserted inserting

It has invested in Italian company D-Orbit, which offers services to insert satellites into orbit, and Skeleton, an Estonian maker of energy-storage devices designed for fast charging and discharging.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

They are currently trying to insert an amendment into the Railways Bill.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

And for the simplest possible showstopper, Frieda’s Hulas Ready-to-Drink Coconuts come peeled and prepped with a tool that lets you open them and insert a straw in seconds.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

The Chileans drilled holes allowing workers to insert a camera and pinpoint his location.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

She seemed to insert new material as it popped into her head.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

Pharrell’s ad-libs and inserts interrupting the groove at perfect intervals to wake up the dancefloor.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

The draft communique inserts previously unused language targeting "freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits" while separately calling for "unimpeded" passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

And a Finnish project called Fold2 has explored using intricately folded cardboard to make packaging inserts designed to protect products during shipping.

From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026

And there’s inserts and close-ups sometimes, but I feel very confident in the way that we stage and we block the scene.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2026

The assistant director inserts matching keys into those holes; they unlock what looks like five different shafts.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

While translating from Ottoman Turkish, an archivist substituted out the original owner and inserted Seit Shehu’s name instead, a court found.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

China’s move came after a post on online forum Reddit last week alleged that Anthropic had secretly inserted code into the software to identify users who accessed it from China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

BP inserted the paper’s ideas into its sustainability reports promoting greater efficiency and natural gas — which it argued offered a low-carbon alternative to coal.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026

The young intern who shot us with a tranquilizer dart and then inserted that inexact analysis apologizes.

From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2026

She picked up one of the teeth and inserted it into a notch that had been carved in the end of one of the sticks.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville

Spend enough years standing behind pyramids of hamburgers, posing at fry stations and inserting yourself into the iconography of American restaurant chains, and eventually the props begin to accrue meanings of their own.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

It involves inserting electrodes made of materials such as zinc and copper into substances that contain moisture or ions, and then collecting the small but steady electrical currents.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Usually, treatment involves inserting a needle into the womb to either drain some of the fluid or seal blood vessels using a laser.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

But in local disputes, the locals have every reason to get the oil flowing again eventually without the U.S. inserting itself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Then they started back again, for a while trying not to make an extra set of footsteps, inserting their shoes into the ones they had just made.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• embed
• enter
• fill in
• imbed
• implant
• include
• inject
• introduce
• stick