install
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To connect, set up or prepare something for use.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihnstawlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪnsˈtɔl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To connect, set up or prepare something for use
Put into an office or a position
“The new president was installed immediately after the election.”
transitive
To admit formally into an office, rank or position.
transitivecomputing
To transfer software onto a device's permanent storage and put it in a state where it is ready to be run when needed, usually decompressing it if necessary and performing any necessary pre-first-run configuration.
noun
computinginformal
An installation: the process of installing a software application.
computinginformal
An installation: a software application that has been installed.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To connect, set up or prepare something for use
Used this way, install is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use install
- “Install the washer and dryer.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The act of installing something (as equipment).
Word family
Words built from the same root.
The act of installing something (as equipment).
A payment of part of a debt.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
The charge for installing something.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.