involution

noun

in·​vo·​lu·​tion ˌin-və-ˈlü-shən How to pronounce involution (audio)
Synonyms of involutionnext
1
a(1)
: the act or an instance of enfolding or entangling : involvement
(2)
: an involved grammatical construction usually characterized by the insertion of clauses between the subject and predicate
b
: complexity, intricacy
2
: exponentiation
3
a
: an inward curvature or penetration
b
: the formation of a gastrula by ingrowth of cells formed at the dorsal lip
4
: a shrinking or return to a former size
5
: the regressive alterations of a body or its parts characteristic of the aging process
skeletal involution due to loss of estrogens at menopause
involutional
ˌin-və-ˈlü-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce involution (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

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Examples of involution in a Sentence

the involution of the thriller's plot made it hard to follow
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.
Firms and factories race to produce the same products and barely make any profit—a phenomenon known in China as nei juan, or involution. — Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2024 Reviewers began to accuse her of involution, pretension, and self-entrancement. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English involucioun "wrapping of a bandage, twist or coil of an organ, anatomical fold or entanglement," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French involucion "state of something rolled up on itself, confusion, complications hindering the prosecution of a lawsuit," borrowed from Medieval Latin involūtiōn-, involūtiō "twist or coil of an organ, covering, wrapping up, envelopment, complexity, obscurity," going back to Latin, "a spiral, screw," from involū-, variant stem of involvere "to move by rolling, roll back on itself, enclose in a covering, wrap up" (Medieval Latin, "to engage in an affair or occupation, implicate, ensnare") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at involve

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Time Traveler
The first known use of involution was circa 1611

Rhymes for involution

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Browse Nearby Words

involute tooth
involution
involve
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Cite this Entry

“Involution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/involution. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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Medical Definition

involution

noun
in·​vo·​lu·​tion ˌin-və-ˈlü-shən How to pronounce involution (audio)
1
a
: an inward curvature or penetration
b
: the formation of a gastrula by ingrowth of cells formed at the dorsal lip
2
: a shrinking or return to a former size
involution of the uterus after pregnancy
3
: the regressive alterations of a body or its parts characteristic of the aging process
specifically : decline marked by a decrease of bodily vigor and in women by menopause

More from Merriam-Webster on involution

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about involution

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