Involve Means to Roll Something In
To involve is to include as a necessary part, or to draw someone into an activity. The Latin image is of rolling something up inside.
To involve is to make something a necessary part of something else, or to bring a person into it. The Latin is physical: *volvere*, to roll, so involving is rolling one thing up inside another. The same root gives *revolve*, *evolve* and *volume*, which was once a rolled scroll.
- To include as a necessary part. *The job involves travel.*
- To draw someone in. *Involve the parents early.*
- Involved — complicated, or taking part. *A very involved explanation.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | involve | It involves risk. |
| Past | involved | Involved in the case. |
| Noun | involvement | Deep involvement. |
| Adjective | involved | An involved process. |
| Adjective | uninvolved | An uninvolved observer. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The role involves some weekend work.Necessary part.
- Three cars were involved in the crash.Involved in for participation.
- The explanation was rather involved.Meaning complicated.
The rolling family
- Revolve — roll around
- Evolve — roll out, unfold
- Devolve — roll down, pass to a lower level
- Volume — a rolled scroll, hence a book
- Convoluted — rolled together, hence twisted and hard to follow
From Latin *involvere*, to roll into or wrap up, from *in* and *volvere*, to roll. English first used it for wrapping and enveloping.
Involved in or involved with?
Involved in an event or activity; involved with a person or organisation. The second can hint at a romantic relationship.
Why does *involved* mean complicated?
From the idea of something wrapped up in itself, with parts folded over each other and hard to separate.