Synonyms of inclusion
1
: the act of including : the state of being included
inclusion of all expenses in the statement
2
: something that is included: such as
a
: a gaseous, liquid, or solid foreign body enclosed in a mass (as of a mineral)
b
: a passive usually temporary product of cell activity (such as a starch grain) within the cytoplasm or nucleus
3
: the act or practice of including students with disabilities with the general student population
Inclusion refers to a variety of integration approaches, but the goal is to blend special education students into the traditional classroom.—Suevon Lee
—sometimes used before a noun
an inclusion classroom/school
4
: the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (as because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability)
promoting inclusion in the workplace
… academic libraries have traditionally struggled to address problems of equity, diversity and inclusion. The low representation of people of color in library staff has been a particular shortcoming, despite many initiatives to attract minority staff to the field.—Lindsay McKenzie
Tech workers say they are more interested in diversity and are more willing to work to promote inclusion in their workplace …—Jessica Guynn
Meaningful civic inclusion even now eludes many of our fellow citizens who are recognizably of African descent.—Glenn C. Loury
5
mathematics : a relation between two classes (see class sense 3c) that exists when all members of the first class are also members of the second compare membership sense 3

Examples of inclusion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Alaska election officials initially removed the challenger from the ballot after a complaint from the state Republican Party, but state courts ordered his inclusion on the ballot. — Hugh Son, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026 The inclusion of rice and beans jacks up the price inordinately. — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2026 WinCo initiated the recall after the bread manufacturer, United States Bakery, determined the hoagie roll packaging did not declare the inclusion of sesame flour on the ingredient list and allergen statement. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Their inclusion in the archive does not establish a shared explanation. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inclusion

Word History

Etymology

Latin inclusion-, inclusio, from includere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inclusion was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inclusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inclusion. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

inclusion

noun
1
: the act of including : the state of being included
2
: something that is included

Medical Definition

inclusion

noun
: something that is included
especially : a passive usually temporary product of cell activity (as a starch grain) within the cytoplasm or nucleus

More from Merriam-Webster on inclusion

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster