INCLUDE Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'include' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of include are comprehend , embrace , and involve . While all these words mean "to contain within as part of the whole," include suggests the containment of something as a constituent, component, or subordinate part of a larger whole. // the price of dinner includes dessert

Q: When could 'comprehend' be used to replace 'include'?

The words comprehend and include can be used in similar contexts, but comprehend implies that something comes within the scope of a statement or definition. // his system comprehends all history

Q: In what contexts can 'embrace' take the place of 'include'?

The meanings of embrace and include largely overlap; however, embrace implies a gathering of separate items within a whole. // her faith embraces both Christian and non-Christian beliefs

Q: When is it sensible to use 'involve' instead of 'include'?

The words involve and include are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, involve suggests inclusion by virtue of the nature of the whole, whether by being its natural or inevitable consequence. // the new job involves a lot of detail

include

verb

in-ˈklüd

Definition of include

as in to involve

to have as part of a whole the college application included some thought-provoking essay questions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to house

to close or shut in by or as if by barriers that inextinguishable spark of liberty that is included within every human being

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb include contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of include are comprehend, embrace, and involve. While all these words mean "to contain within as part of the whole," include suggests the containment of something as a constituent, component, or subordinate part of a larger whole.

the price of dinner includes dessert

When could comprehend be used to replace include?

The words comprehend and include can be used in similar contexts, but comprehend implies that something comes within the scope of a statement or definition.

his system comprehends all history

In what contexts can embrace take the place of include?

The meanings of embrace and include largely overlap; however, embrace implies a gathering of separate items within a whole.

her faith embraces both Christian and non-Christian beliefs

When is it sensible to use involve instead of include?

The words involve and include are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, involve suggests inclusion by virtue of the nature of the whole, whether by being its natural or inevitable consequence.

the new job involves a lot of detail

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of include But the task force wants to expand the ban to include all congressional staff. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Eisenkot and other opposition leaders urged the White House, through intermediaries including Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson, to stay out of the race, according to Israeli sources familiar with the efforts. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 Sculptures by ceramic artist Sean Scully and American artist Alexander Calder lay by the poolside, which once effervesced with a social milieu that included Joan Miró, Georges Braque, Calder, César Baldaccini and Fernand Léger. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026 This year’s incredible class of awardees includes Jason Bolden, Kellon Deryck, Molly Greenwald, Chris Horan, Amy Komorowski, Thuy Nguyen, Law Roach, and Trish Summerville. — InStyle, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for include

Recent Examples of Synonyms for include

Verb

Hamilton said he was not involved in his church’s investigation of Moore and the church’s decision to let Moore return to the camp in 2006, a year after the initial allegations.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Taiwanese regulators blocked a previous deal involving Foodpanda.

— Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of involve

Verb

Zygielbaum was surprised however that the DOJ reached out only to him, and not the Republican clerk in neighboring Weld County, which also houses a sizable portion of that same congressional district.

— Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
By 2018, the F50 had reportedly been acquired by Chinese billionaire and Instagram influencer Shin Mike Yin, who houses his collection of rare exotics—including a few examples from Pagani and Bugatti—in Dusseldorf, Germany.

— Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of house

Verb

Shauf quit drinking in 2020, and while The Party contains its fair share of drunken regret, alcohol is a more central subject on the afterparty’s other two outtakes.

— Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
The medical response has focused largely on treating and containing the disease, with little to no attention to the mental health of those affected.

— Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of contain

Verb

The larger ring also improves sensitivity because optical gyroscopes can detect smaller rotations when the light encloses a greater area.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
The self-rinsing jet remains enclosed when not in use, so there’s less worry about the spread of bacteria.

— Eliza Thompson, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of enclose

Verb

His role expanded in 2022 to encompass broader league policy matters.

— Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2026
In 2001, portions of the installation were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Quantico Marine Corps Base Historic District, encompassing 122 buildings, two landscapes, a sculpture and a water tower.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of encompass

Verb

Handling plasma data Fusion reactors use magnetic fields to keep hot plasma confined at temperatures between 180 and 270 million degrees Fahrenheit (100 and 150 degrees Celsius).

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
They are confined to their bodies, rife with their many flaws and inadequacies.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of confine

Verb

Efforts to bring Pooh home over the years have entailed questions in Parliament, motions in Congress, pleas from prime ministers and mediation by two presidents.

— STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
Trump’s flexible realism also entails recognizing the need to form bespoke coalitions of the willing to augment the United Nations and other large multilateral institutions.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of entail

Verb

The mRNA coding for these proteins, or antigens, are encased in a lipid particle in a similar way to Moderna’s COVID vaccine, which used mRNA from the COVID virus’ spike protein.

— Alice Park, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
The arthropod group includes animals that are without a backbone or any bones at all, strictly speaking, their bodies being encased in a ringed, exterior tegument and having legs and, sometimes, wings.

— Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of encase

Browse Nearby Words

in clover

include

included

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“Include.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/include. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of include

verb

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