embedded

[ em-bed-id ]

adjective

1. fixed or snugly enclosed in a surrounding mass:

   The young turtles are weighed, measured, and tagged with an embedded microchip before being released back into the salt marsh.

2. incorporated into something as an essential characteristic:

   In any cultural context, deeply embedded values and attitudes can be difficult to change.

3. 1. being or relating to a journalist assigned to travel with a military unit or political campaign:

      He was an embedded reporter with the First Marine Division during the invasion of Iraq.

   2. working closely with a group or participating in a special event as an invited expert, creative professional, etc.:

      As Radio 3’s first embedded composer, he is writing one new piece of music a week for the breakfast show.

4. Digital Technology. (of text, images, sound, or code) placed in a computer file, HTML document, software program, or electronic device:

   Click here or watch the embedded video below to learn more about the work of our Foundation.

5. Grammar. (of a construction, as a phrase or clause) inserted into a larger construction, as a clause or sentence:

   Informative texts often include unfamiliar technical vocabulary and complex sentences with embedded clauses.

6. Histology. (of biological tissue) infiltrated with melted paraffin or other such material that later solidifies, enabling the preparation to be sliced very thin for viewing under a microscope (sometimes used in combination):

   The fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues were cut into sections 5 μm thick and mounted on glass slides.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of embed ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of embedded¹

embed ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

The scheme is increasingly becoming embedded in official licensing policies across England and Wales.

From BBC

“It’s the norm and the custom. It’s embedded in the U.S. attorneys manual,” said Washington lawyer Stuart Gerson, a former acting U.S. attorney general.

From Los Angeles Times

Sheinbaum’s challenge at the national level, where cartels are more embedded than in Mexico City, has been abundantly clear since she was sworn in Oct.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2022, the consortium began introducing tracking chips, no larger than a grain of rice, as part of the label embedded in the hard rind of the cheese.

From BBC

"By the time everyone else comes out of university, I'll have some savings behind me, I'll be embedded within a company, and hopefully will have gained some qualifications in my job."

From BBC

Related Words

• fixed
• ingrained
• installed
• planted