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include

v. · n.
US //ˌɪnˈkɫud// UK //ɪnklˈuːd// in·clude
  1. 1 to make part of a group (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to put someone or something into a group, list, or total.

    to incorporate an entity into a larger group, class, or collection as a constituent part.

    Example

    Please include your phone number on the application form.

    Example

    The organisers decided to include several local artists in the exhibition to ensure the community felt represented.

    Usage

    This is a transitive verb that takes a direct object.

    Pitfall
    The price includes for the tax.
    The price includes the tax.

    The verb 'include' is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'for'.

  2. 2 to contain as a part (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to have something as one of its parts or members.

    to contain or comprise as part of a whole; to have as a component.

    Example

    The breakfast menu includes coffee, tea, and fresh fruit.

    Example

    The comprehensive insurance policy includes coverage for accidental damage but excludes intentional acts of negligence.

    Usage

    Often used in the present simple to describe the contents of a set or package.

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  1. 3 programming directive (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    to use a special command that brings code from another file into your program.

    to use a preprocessor directive or command that imports the contents of an external file into the current source file.

    Example

    You need to include the header file at the top of your code.

    Example

    The developer failed to include the necessary library, resulting in a compilation error when the compiler reached the undefined functions.

    Usage

    Commonly used as a keyword in languages like C, C++, and PHP.

  2. 4 included file (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a file or piece of code that is added to another file.

    a file or resource that is intended to be incorporated into another document or program via a directive.

    Example

    Check the includes folder to find the database settings.

    Example

    The project structure separates the main logic from the various includes to make the codebase easier to maintain.

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”).

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