The best include synonym depends on whether something is one part of a whole, something you are adding, or a person you are bringing in: contain, involve, cover, feature and add handle most sentences. Include is a quiet, useful verb, but it turns up so often in reports and product descriptions that readers stop noticing it.
What follows gives another word for include for every sense (four in all), a five-step formality ladder, includes synonym ideas for lists and product pages, and the strict words comprise and consist of that do not mean quite the same thing.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
contain, involve, cover, featurePart of speech
VerbMost formal
encompass, incorporate, embraceMost casual
have, throw in, count inFor people
invite, welcome, bring inAntonyms
exclude, omit, leave outWatch out
Include suggests a partial list. Comprise and consist of suggest the full list.Word forms covered
includes, included, including
Include synonym chart by sense
| Sense | Words | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| One part of a whole | contain, involve, cover, feature | The job involves some weekend shifts. |
| Adding something | add, insert, attach, enclose | Please attach your transcript. |
| Bringing people in | invite, welcome, bring in, count in | Count me in for the hike. |
| Introducing examples | such as, like, among them | Bring snacks such as fruit or nuts. |
Includes synonym ideas for lists and product pages
Includes is the form you will see most in menus, listings and job ads. Fresh options:
- Comes with: friendly, for products. The kit comes with two batteries.
- Features: highlights a selling point. The apartment features a balcony.
- Offers: services and courses. The gym offers yoga classes.
- Covers: topics and insurance. The policy covers storm damage.
- Contains: ingredients and physical contents. This sauce contains peanuts.
The preposition including swaps with such as, like or among them; the including synonyms page has more.
Comprise, consist of and contain: the strict ones
Include tells the reader the list may go on. The team includes two designers leaves room for other members. Comprise and consist of claim the list is complete: the team consists of two designers means there is nobody else.
Careful editors also prefer the course comprises four modules to is comprised of, although the second is now common. Contain sits in between: it is about what is inside something, usually physical.
Climbing from have to encompass
On the chip scale, have is the plainest swap: the room has a desk. Cover works for topics and scope. Contain is neutral and exact. Incorporate means blending something in so it becomes part of the whole, ideal for feedback or design. Encompass is the grand one, best for wide ranges: the study encompasses three centuries of records. The encompass synonyms page goes further.
Old lines, fresh verbs
- The price includes breakfast becomes breakfast is covered in the price.
- Please include your phone number becomes please add your phone number.
- The report includes new data becomes the report incorporates new data.
- The tour includes a boat ride becomes the tour features a boat ride.
- We included her in the plans becomes we brought her into the plans.
An email: "I have included my resume and have included two references." Swap one: "I have attached my resume and listed two references below." Attached also tells the reader exactly where to look.
Warmer words for including people
When the object is a person or a group, include can sound like a checkbox. Invite and welcome add warmth. Involve suggests a real role: involve students in the planning. Integrate fits workplaces and schools where newcomers become full members. For the adjective, see inclusive synonyms.
Exclude and other opposites
Exclude is the direct antonym and is common in pricing and legal terms. Omit and leave out often suggest an accident or an editing choice, while bar and eliminate are deliberate and firm. Remove and drop describe taking out something that was once there.
- Prices exclude delivery.
- I accidentally left out the last page.
Find similar verbs in the action verbs section.
Frequently asked questions
Which include synonym works best in a formal report?
Incorporate and encompass sound polished. Contain is the safest neutral choice when you just mean something is part of a document.
Is comprise a synonym for include?
Only loosely. Comprise means the parts listed make up the whole, while include allows other parts. Use comprise when your list is complete.
How can I say includes on a menu?
Comes with, served with and featuring all sound natural. Each plate comes with rice reads better than each plate includes rice.
What is the opposite of include?
Exclude is the standard antonym. Omit and leave out work when something is missed rather than banned.
Can I use involve instead of include?
Yes when the thing is a necessary part of an activity: the role involves travel. For lists of items, contain or cover is better.
What does including mean before a list?
It means the items named are examples, not the full set. Such as and like do the same job.