involution
noun
in·vo·lu·tion
ˌin-və-ˈlü-shən 
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
2
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
Synonyms
Examples of involution in a Sentence
the involution of the thriller's plot made it hard to follow
Recent Examples on the Web
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
In a challenging economic environment, AI has become less about revolution and more about involution, and many startups are using it to make small efficiency improvements, hoping to gain enough of an edge to stay competitive.
—Lavender Au, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2023
This is curiously analogous to the cultural involution which Jews also underwent during this period.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2012
Assuming either model, it has long been presumed that their involution by the Baloch has had a strong impact on the Brahui genetically; the two groups are very close.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2010
In contrast, non-Muslim minorities began a long process of involution after the Islamic Arab conquests, only disrupted in the past century by emigration and to a lesser extent emancipation.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2011
China’s hyper-competitive schools and workplaces have given rise to movements like ‘lying flat’ and ‘involution,’ which symbolize young people’s growing rejection of its cutthroat systems.
—Yvonne Lau, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2022
Lying flat and involution are not just online fodder, experts say; symptoms of passive resistance are popping up across Chinese society.
—Grady McGregor, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2022
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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
In a challenging economic environment, AI has become less about revolution and more about involution, and many startups are using it to make small efficiency improvements, hoping to gain enough of an edge to stay competitive.
—Lavender Au, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2023
This is curiously analogous to the cultural involution which Jews also underwent during this period.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2012
Assuming either model, it has long been presumed that their involution by the Baloch has had a strong impact on the Brahui genetically; the two groups are very close.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2010
In contrast, non-Muslim minorities began a long process of involution after the Islamic Arab conquests, only disrupted in the past century by emigration and to a lesser extent emancipation.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2011
China’s hyper-competitive schools and workplaces have given rise to movements like ‘lying flat’ and ‘involution,’ which symbolize young people’s growing rejection of its cutthroat systems.
—Yvonne Lau, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2022
Lying flat and involution are not just online fodder, experts say; symptoms of passive resistance are popping up across Chinese society.
—Grady McGregor, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2022
Dictionary Entries Near involution
Cite this Entry
“Involution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/involution. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
involution
noun
in·vo·lu·tion
ˌin-və-ˈlü-shən
Medical Definition
involution
noun
in·vo·lu·tion
ˌin-və-ˈlü-shən
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
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