What does "include" mean?
A piece of source code or other content that is dynamically retrieved for inclusion in another item.
Include
/ɪnˈkluːd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A piece of source code or other content that is dynamically retrieved for inclusion in another item.
- Grammar: include is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: add, admit, comprise, contain.
- Useful contrasts: discriminating, gapped performance, isolated.
- Usage evidence: Short-term effects of smoking include unfitness, wheezing, a general vulnerability to illness, bad breath, bad skin and so on.
How to use "include"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "include" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "include" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "include" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "include" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "include" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "add" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "include", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A piece of source code or other content that is dynamically retrieved for inclusion in another item.
"In the previous lesson, you learned how to use server-side includes, which enable you to easily include snippets of web pages within other web pages."
Verb
- 1 To bring into a group, class, set, or total as a (new) part or member.
"I will purchase the vacation package if you will include car rental."
- 2 add as part of something else; put in as part of a set, group, or category wordnet
- 3 To consider as part of something; to comprehend.
"The vacation package includes car rental."
- 4 consider as part of something wordnet
- 5 To enclose, confine. obsolete
"I could have here willingly ranged, but these straits wherein I am included will not permit."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of wordnet
- 7 To conclude; to terminate. obsolete
"Come, let us go; we will include all jars / With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity."
- 8 have as a part, be made up out of wordnet
- 9 To use a directive that allows the use of source code from another file.
"You have to include the strings library to use this function."
Antonyms
Example
"Short-term effects of smoking include unfitness, wheezing, a general vulnerability to illness, bad breath, bad skin and so on."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "include"?
Common synonyms include: add, admit, comprise, contain, encompass, incorporate.
How do you use "include" in a sentence?
Short-term effects of smoking include unfitness, wheezing, a general vulnerability to illness, bad breath, bad skin and so on.
How do you pronounce "include"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈkluːd/.
Etymology
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”).