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include

v.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˌɪnˈkɫud// UK //ɪnklˈuːd// in·clude Archaic General-service

v. to have something as a part of a group or a list. You use this when you want to say that something is one of the pieces that makes up a whole.

v. to contain as part of a whole; to comprise or encompass as a constituent element.


SIMPLE

The price of the room includes breakfast.

CONTEXTUAL

Please make sure to include your phone number on the application form so we can contact you.

COMPLEX

The comprehensive report must include all relevant data points from the last quarter to ensure the board has a complete picture of our financial health.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English includen, borrowed from Latin inclūdere (“to shut in, enclose, insert”), from in- (“in”) + claudere (“to shut”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂w- (“key, hook, nail”). Doublet of enclose. Displaced native Old English belūcan (“to include,” also “to shut in”).

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. In programming contexts, it often refers to adding external code or libraries to a source file.

Pitfall

The group is including of five peopleThe group includes five peopleLearners often confuse 'include' with 'consist of' or 'is composed of'; 'include' is a transitive verb and does not take 'of'.

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