involve — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To have (something) as a component or a related part; to comprise, to include.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   comprehend

   Examples

   My job involves forecasting economic trends.

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   But there remaineth yet another vſe of POESY PARABOLICAL, […] That is vvhen the Secrets and Miſteries of Religion, Pollicy, or Philoſophy, are inuolued in Fables or Parables. Of this in diuine Poeſie, vvee ſee the vſe is authoriſed.

   Some have vvritten Myſtically, as Paracelſus, […] involving therein the ſecret of their Elixir, and enigmatically expreſſing the nature of their great vvorke.

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   The Opinion of the pure and intellectual Nature of Numbers in Abſtract, has made 'em in eſteem vvith thoſe Philoſophers, […] And hath heretofore ſo far infected the Minds of ſome, that they have dreamt of mighty Myſteries involved in Numbers, and attempted the Explication of Natural Things by them.

   Most persons express themselves as surprised at its quantity; not having known before to what an extent good art had been accumulated in England: and it will, therefore, I should think, be held a worthy subject of consideration, what are the political interests involved in such accumulation.

   The face which emerged was not reassuring. […] [T]here was a deficiency of a sort there, and it was not made more pretty by a latter-day hair cut which involved eccentrically long elf-locks and oiled black curls.

   Some poems, echoing the purpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes' cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes.

2. To have (something) as a component or a related part; to comprise, to include. To include (something) as a logical or natural, or necessary component, or consequence or effect of something else; to entail, to imply.

   Usage

   • specifically
   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (3)

   Many conceive there is ſomevvhat amiſſe, and that as vve uſually ſay, they are unbleſt untill they put on their girdle: vvherein (although moſt knovv not vvhat they ſay) there are involved unknovvne conſiderations; for by a girdle or cincture are ſymbolically implied Truth, Reſolution and Readineſſe unto Action, […]

   [A]t the making of this Covenant, God ſpake onely to Abraham; and therefore contracted not vvith any of his family, or ſeed, othervviſe then as their vvills (vvhich make the eſſence of all Covenants) vvere before the Contract involved in the vvill of Abraham; vvho vvas ſuppoſed to have had a lavvfull povver, to make them perform all that he covenanted for them.

   All that I can ſay is this, That vve are not infallible either in judging of the antiquity of a Book, or of the ſenſe of it; by vvhich I mean (as any man of ſenſe and ingenuity vvould eaſily perceive I do) that vve cannot demonſtrate theſe things ſo, as to ſhevv that the contrary neceſſarily involves a contradiction; but yet that vve may have a firm aſſurance concerning theſe matters, ſo as not to make the leaſt doubt of them.

3. To cause or engage (someone or something) to become connected or implicated, or to participate, in some activity or situation.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   include

   Examples

   By involving herself in her local community, Mary met lots of people and also helped make it a nicer place to live.

   How can we involve the audience more during the show?

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   I don’t want to involve him in my personal affairs.

   We are always trying to involve new technology in our products.

   If thou ſuch fierce Deſtruction doſt diſpence, / To puniſh ſome unpardon'd old Offence, / On me let all thy fiery Darts be ſpent, / Let not my Crime involve the innocent.

   There is no manner of doubt that upon an indictment for a conspiracy, be the conspiracy to do one act, or another act, or be the quality of the act done, when it is done, what it may, that as far as you can connect persons acting together towards one purpose, which purpose constitutes the crime, you may undoubtedly involve them together by evidence, but that is not the question here.

   Lawyer Clippurse found his patron involved in a deep study, which he was too respectful to disturb, otherwise than by producing his paper and leathern ink-case, as prepared to minute his honour's commands.

4. To cause or engage (someone or something) to become connected or implicated, or to participate, in some activity or situation. Chiefly followed by with: to engage (someone or oneself) in an emotional or sexual relationship.

   Usage

   • also
   • Reflexive
   • specifically
   • Transitive

5. To entangle, intertwine, or mingle (something with one or more other things, or several things together); especially, to entangle (someone or something) in a confusing or troublesome situation.

   Usage

   • Figurative
   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   blendensnarlmerge

   Examples

   to involve a person in debt or misery

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   Also that reuerende studie [of law] is inuolued in so barbarouse a langage, that it is nat only voyde of all eloquence, but also beynge seperate from the exercise of our lawe onely, it serueth to no commoditie or necessary purpose, no man understandyng it but they whiche haue studyed the lawes.

   [O]ld Œdipus / Would be amazd, and take it in foule snufs / That such Cymerian darknes should involve / A quaint conceit that he could not resolve.

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   So that involved vvith more perplexity novv than ever, he vvas at his vvits end, and once reſolved to burn his Book and return to trading: […]

   [F]or whence, / But from the Author of all ill [Satan] could Spring / So deep a malice, to confound the race / Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell / To mingle and involve, done all to ſpite / The great Creatour?

   [H]e [Death] knows / His end with mine involvd; and knows that I / Should prove a bitter Morſel, and his bane, / When ever that ſhall be; ſo Fate pronounc'd.

   Our misfortunes vvere involved together— […]

   The materials being thus combined, the next process was to involve them, so as to obtain the number exposed to the risk of mortality in each year of age, in order to ascertain the proportion of deaths; […]

6. To cover or envelop (something) completely; to hide, to surround.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Transitive

   Synonyms

   enfoldenwrapswallow up

   Examples

   to involve in darkness or obscurity

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   [T]he vviſe mans eyes keepe vvatch in his head vvhereas the foole roundeth about in darkneſſe: but vvithall I learned that the ſame mortalitie inuolueth them both.

   For vvhatſoever the vviſeſt men in the vvorld in all nations, and religions did agree upon as moſt excellent in it ſelf, and of greateſt povver to make politicall, or future and immateriall felicities, all that and much more the Holy JESUS adopted into his Lavv; for they receiving ſparks, or ſingle irradiations from the regions of light, or elſe having fair tapers, ſhining indeed excellently in repreſentations and expreſſes of morality, vvere all involved and ſvvallovved up into the body of light, the ſun of righteouſneſſe.

   [T]he ſhatter'd ſide / Of thundring Æetna, whoſe combuſtible / And fewel'd entrails thence conceiving Fire, / Sublim'd with Mineral fury, aid the Winds, / And leave a ſinged bottom all involv'd / With ſtench and ſmoak: […]

   It is true, that it is vvith the connatural Principles inſcribed in our Minds as it is vvith our Faculties, they lye more torpid, and inactive, and inevident, unleſs they are avvakened and exerciſed, like a ſpark involved in aſhes; […]

   [H]ere vve had the VVood called Calambuco, a Tree much valued and uſed at Funerals: the richer ſort have gums and odours of Arabia put in flames, vvherein the dead body being laid is conſumed; but firſt involved in Linen vvhich is pure, vvhite, ſvveet and fine; or in Taffataes of tranſparent fineneſs.

   Black Vapours, iſſuing from the Vent, involve the Sky.

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   Black bulls, and bearded goats on altars lie; / And clouds of ſav'ry ſtench involve the ſky.

   The ſtormy fates deſcend: one death involves / Tyrants and ſlaves; […]

   [O]rb in orb conglob'd are ſeen / The buzzing Bees about their duſky Queen. / The gath'ring number, as it moves along, / Involves a vaſt involuntary throng, / VVho gently dravvn, and ſtrugling leſs and leſs, / Roll in her Vortex, and her povv'r confeſs.

   As troops of inſects, vvith increaſing ſpeed, ſeek their ovvn deſtruction in the flaming fire; even ſo theſe people, vvith ſvvelling fury, ſeek their ovvn deſtruction. Thou involveſt and ſvvallovveſt them altogether, even unto the laſt, vvith thy flaming mouths; vvhilſt the vvhole vvorld is filled vvith thy glory, as thy avvful beams, O Vĕĕſhnŏŏ, ſhine forth on all ſides!

   [T]he larger the vvomb grovvs the more it appears to thicken. VVithin this the embryo is ſtill farther involved, in tvvo membranes, called the chorion, and amnios; and floats in a thin tranſparent fluid, upon vvhich it ſeems, in ſome meaſure, to ſubſiſt.

   My love involves the love before; / My love is vaster passion now; / Tho' mix'd with God and Nature thou / I seem to love thee more and more.

   Or I saw / Fog only, the great tawny weltering fog, / Involve the passive city, strangle it / Alive, and draw it off into the void, […]

   O God, who involvedst in the consuming fire the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and gavest salvation to Lot Thy servant and his household: […] show us in this test of our littleness the virtue of the same Holy Spirit, and by the heat of this Fire separate the believing and unbelieving, […]

7. To form (something) into a coil or spiral, or into folds; to entwine, to fold up, to roll, to wind round.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Transitive

   Examples

   VVe muſt be ſtiffe and ſteddie in reſolue. / Let's thus our hands, our hearts, our armes inuolue.

   [S]ome of Serpent kinde / Wondrous in length and corpulence involv'd / Thir Snakie foulds, and added wings.

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   The forms which peopled this terrific trance / I well remember—like a choir of devils, / Around me they involved a giddy dance; / Legions seemed gathering from the misty levels / Of Ocean, to supply those ceaseless revels, / Foul, ceaseless shadows:— […]

8. To make (something) intricate; to complicate.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Obsolete
   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   And as wililye as thoſe ſhrewes that beguyle hym haue holpe hym to inuolue and intryke the matter: I ſhall vſe ſo playn and open a way therin, that euery man ſhall well ſee the trouth.

   [H]e ſeemed rather vvilling to diſpatch the buſines vvith judgement, then to involue it vvith nice diſtinctions.

   More examples (3)

   The distribution and configuration of the land, together with the influence of the winds, greatly involve the problem of the tides, and render it one of the most difficult in the whole range of physics.

   The sewerage and drainage of the town of Gibraltar, being upon a very defective system, greatly involve the sanitary welfare of the troops, many of the barrack buildings being immediately within the influences of such evil.

   Before leaving this branch of our subject, it may be well to point out that a young man who possesses the power of explaining himself clearly, without stammering and stumbling, and involving his sentences, always has a great advantage on his side.

9. To multiply (a number) by itself a given number of times; to raise to any assigned power.

   Usage

   • Archaic
   • Obsolete
   • Transitive

   Examples

   a quantity involved to the third or fourth power

   More examples (1)

   Subtract the power from the given quantity, and divide the first term of the remainder, by the first term of the root involved to the next inferiour power, and multiplied by the index of the given power; the quotient will be the next term of the root.

Verb

1. connect closely and often incriminatingly

   Synonyms

   affectregard

   Broader terms

   referpertainrelateconcerncome tobear ontouchtouch onhave to do with

   Examples

   This new ruling affects your business

2. engage as a participant

   Broader terms

   admitlet ininclude

   Examples

   Don't involve me in your family affairs!

3. have as a necessary feature

   Synonyms

   imply

   Broader terms

   havefeature

   Examples

   This decision involves many changes

4. require as useful, just, or proper

   Synonyms

   necessitateaskpostulateneedrequiretakecall fordemand

   Broader terms

   referpertainrelateconcerncome tobear ontouchtouch onhave to do with

   Examples

   It takes nerve to do what she did

   success usually requires hard work

   More examples (4)

   This job asks a lot of patience and skill

   This position demands a lot of personal sacrifice

   This dinner calls for a spectacular dessert

   This intervention does not postulate a patient's consent

5. contain as a part

   Broader terms

   include

   Examples

   Dinner at Joe's always involves at least six courses

6. occupy or engage the interest of

   Broader terms

   absorbengrossengageoccupy

   Examples

   His story completely involved me during the entire afternoon

7. make complex or intricate or complicated

   Broader terms

   complicaterefinerarifyelaborate

   Examples

   The situation was rather involved