ENGLISH
REFERENCE

involve

v.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˌɪnˈvɑɫv// UK //ɪnvˈɒlv// in·volve Academic Archaic General-service

v. to include someone or something as a necessary part of an activity or situation. If a job involves travel, you must travel to do the job correctly.

v. to include as a necessary part, consequence, or ingredient. Transitive; requires a direct object which can be a noun phrase or a gerund.


SIMPLE

The new project will involve a lot of hard work.

CONTEXTUAL

Successful event planning usually involves coordinating with several different vendors at the same time.

COMPLEX

The proposed legislation would involve a complete restructuring of the current tax system, affecting millions of small business owners across the country.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

PIE word *h₁én From Late Middle English involven (“to cloud; to encumber; to envelop, surround; to ponder (something); (reflexive) to concern (oneself) with something”) [and other forms], borrowed from Old French involver, envoudre, or from its etymon Latin involvere, the present active infinitive of Latin involvō (“to roll to or upon something; to roll about; to coil or curl up; to cover; to envelop, wrap up; to overwhelm”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + volvō (“to roll; to tumble”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn; to wind (turn coils)”)).

Usage

The verb is transitive. When followed by another action, it takes the -ing form (gerund) rather than the infinitive.

Pitfall

The job involves to travel.The job involves traveling.Involve is followed by a gerund (-ing), not a to-infinitive.

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