another word for including: 24 Meanings & Examples

At a Glance: including Synonyms and Related Alternatives

The ten most useful alternatives in one flowing line: containing (holding inside), comprising (made up of), encompassing (covering broadly), counting (adding into the total), numbering (reaching a total of), involving (bringing into the activity), incorporating (blending into the whole), as well as (adding an item to a list), plus (informal addition), and along with (accompanying addition).

Which Word Should You Use?

If you want to…	Use	Why
Describe what is inside	Containing	It is the plainest equivalent
Sound formal in writing	Comprising	It is precise and slightly formal
Add items to a total	Counting	“Five, counting the baby” is natural
Describe job duties	Involving	It frames duties as part of the role
Blend things together	Incorporating	It suggests merging into a whole
List casually	Plus	It is short and conversational
Write formally	Inclusive of	It is the formal written equivalent
Add with flair	Not to mention	It adds an item with emphasis

Exploring the Multiple Meanings of “including”

1. Containing as part of a whole

• Meaning: Having as a part; containing.
• Explanation: The core sense: the price includes tax, the kit includes tools. The included thing is inside the whole.
• Example: The ticket price includes all fees.

2. Counting in a total

• Meaning: Counting as part of a number or group.
• Explanation: As in “eight people, including two children.” It adds members to a count.
• Example: There were twelve guests, including the neighbors.

3. Involving or entailing

• Meaning: Having as a necessary part or result.
• Explanation: As in “the role includes weekend work.” It describes what comes with something.
• Example: The course includes a final project.

Sources: Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, Collins Dictionary

Analyzing 24 including Alternatives in Detail

Some alternatives below are direct synonyms of “including,” while others are context-specific related alternatives. Each usage note marks the difference.

Containing and Comprising

1. Containing

IPA: /kənˈteɪnɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Holding inside; having as a part.

• Usage: The closest everyday synonym for the “holding” sense. It suits boxes, lists, and documents.
• Example: The folder containing the contracts is on my desk.

2. Comprising

IPA: /kəmˈpraɪzɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Made up of; consisting of.

• Usage: A near-direct synonym, formal in tone. Note the direction: the whole comprises the parts (“the team comprises ten players”).
• Example: The committee comprises experts from five countries.

3. Encompassing

IPA: /ɪnˈkʌmpəsɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Covering or including broadly; surrounding.

• Usage: A related alternative, formal. It suggests wide scope rather than simple containment.
• Example: The new policy encompasses health, safety, and training.

4. Embracing

IPA: /ɪmˈbreɪsɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Taking in or including as part of a larger whole. (Figurative)

• Usage: A related alternative, literary in tone. It frames inclusion as welcoming.
• Example: The festival embraces music, food, and art.

5. Covering

IPA: /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Dealing with or including; extending over.

• Usage: A related alternative. It suits topics, ranges, and insurance (“covering all risks”).
• Example: The book covers ten years of research.

Counting and Numbering

6. Counting

IPA: /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Including in a total or reckoning.

• Usage: A direct synonym for the “counting in” sense. “Counting the tip” is natural everyday English.
• Example: Dinner cost forty dollars, counting the tip.

7. Numbering

IPA: /ˈnʌmbərɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Amounting to in number; counting as.

• Usage: A related alternative, formal. It suits totals in reports (“a crowd numbering thousands”).
• Example: The audience, numbering over five hundred, filled the hall.

8. Taking in

IPA: /ˌteɪkɪŋ ˈɪn/ (US and UK)

Definition: Including within scope; encompassing. (Phrasal)

• Usage: A related alternative, informal. It frames inclusion as taking something into account.
• Example: The survey took in opinions from every department.

9. Taking into account

IPA: /ˌteɪkɪŋ ˌɪntuː əˈkaʊnt/ (US and UK)

Definition: Considering as part of a judgment.

• Usage: A related alternative. It means including a factor in your thinking, not in a physical list.
• Example: Taking inflation into account, wages barely rose.

10. Allowing for

IPA: /əˈlaʊɪŋ fɔːr/ (US and UK)

Definition: Making provision for; including as a factor.

• Usage: A related alternative. It suits plans and estimates where something must be factored in.
• Example: Allowing for delays, we should arrive by six.

Involving and Incorporating

11. Involving

IPA: /ɪnˈvɑːlvɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Including as a necessary part; entailing.

• Usage: A direct synonym for the “entailing” sense. It suits duties, processes, and consequences.
• Example: The project involves weekly meetings with clients.

12. Incorporating

IPA: /ɪnˈkɔːrpəreɪtɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Blending into a whole; including as a component.

• Usage: A near-direct synonym, formal. It suggests merging rather than just listing.
• Example: The design incorporates recycled materials.

13. Integrating

IPA: /ˈɪntɪɡreɪtɪŋ/ (US and UK)

Definition: Combining into a unified whole.

• Usage: A related alternative. It is stronger than “including”: the parts become one.
• Example: The school is integrating art into every subject.

14. Folding in

IPA: /ˌfoʊldɪŋ ˈɪn/ (US and UK)

Definition: Blending in gently; incorporating. (Informal, phrasal)

• Usage: A related alternative, informal and originally from cooking. It suits gentle additions.
• Example: She folded the new ideas into the existing plan.

15. Bringing in

IPA: /ˌbrɪŋɪŋ ˈɪn/ (US and UK)

Definition: Introducing as a new element. (Phrasal)

• Usage: A related alternative. It frames inclusion as an active introduction.
• Example: The company is bringing in outside experts.

Adding to a List

16. As well as

IPA: /ˌæz ˈwel æz/ (US and UK)

Definition: In addition to; and also.

• Usage: A near-direct synonym for list-building. It is slightly formal and very common in writing.
• Example: She speaks French as well as Spanish.

17. Plus

IPA: /plʌs/ (US and UK)

Definition: In addition to; and. (Informal)

• Usage: A related alternative, casual and concise. It suits spoken lists and prices.
• Example: The room costs $100 a night, plus tax.

18. Along with

IPA: /əˈlɔːŋ wɪð/ (US and UK)

Definition: Together with; in addition to.

• Usage: A near-direct synonym. It suggests accompaniment as well as addition.
• Example: He brought his guitar along with his songbook.

19. Together with

IPA: /təˈɡeðər wɪð/ (US and UK)

Definition: In combination with; as well as.

• Usage: A near-direct synonym, slightly formal. It suits official lists and pairings.
• Example: The report, together with its appendix, runs to 200 pages.

20. And

IPA: /ænd/ (US and UK)

Definition: Used to connect items in a list.

• Usage: A related alternative. The simplest connector of all; it includes by joining.
• Example: The box held books, clothes, and toys.

Formal and Emphatic

21. Inclusive of

IPA: /ɪnˈkluːsɪv ʌv/ (US and UK)

Definition: Including; counting in.

• Usage: A direct synonym, formal. Standard in contracts, prices, and official documents.
• Example: The fee is $200, inclusive of all taxes.

22. Counting in

IPA: /ˈkaʊntɪŋ ɪn/ (US and UK)

Definition: Including in the count. (Phrasal)

• Usage: A near-direct synonym, conversational. It makes the arithmetic explicit.
• Example: Counting in the coaches, there were thirty of us.

23. With

IPA: /wɪð/ (US and UK)

Definition: Accompanied by; including.

• Usage: A related alternative. In “a burger with fries,” “with” does the including.
• Example: She ordered coffee with an extra shot.

24. Not to mention

IPA: /ˌnɑːt tə ˈmenʃən/ (US and UK)

Definition: Introducing an additional item with emphasis. (Idiomatic)

• Usage: A related alternative as an idiom. It adds an item while stressing its importance.
• Example: The trip was long, not to mention expensive.

Sources: Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, Collins Dictionary, Etymonline

Including vs. Inclusive: A Quick Note

These two cause steady confusion:

Form	Use	Example
Including (preposition)	Introduces items in a list	Everyone came, including Sam.
Inclusive (adjective)	Describes a price, range, or attitude	$50 inclusive of tax; an inclusive workplace

“Including” points at the items; “inclusive” describes the whole as containing them. “Including tax” and “inclusive of tax” both work for prices, but only “inclusive” works as an adjective (“an inclusive policy”). For more usage-level guidance, see another word for amount.

Sources: Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com

including and Opposite/Paired Word Pairs

Word	Paired Word	Note
including	excluding	The direct opposite
inclusive of	exclusive of	The formal pair
containing	lacking	Having inside vs. missing
involving	precluding	Entailing vs. ruling out
plus	minus	Informal addition vs. subtraction

“Including” and “excluding” are the clean working pair; the rest follow the specific sense.

Sources: Merriam-Webster, Collins Dictionary

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Common Word Partners of “including”

Pattern	Common Partners	Example
including + noun	tax, fees, everyone, all	The price includes tax. (verb form)
noun + including	guests, members, costs	Costs, including shipping, rose sharply.
including + but not limited to	(legal phrase)	The duties include, but are not limited to, cleaning.
not + including	not including tax	The fare is $300, not including tax.

Sources: Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com

Idiomatic Phrases Featuring “including”

“Including” appears in a few fixed expressions.

1. Including but not limited to

• Meaning: The list gives examples; other items also count. (Legal phrase)
• Example: Duties include, but are not limited to, answering phones.

2. Not including

• Meaning: With something left out of the total. (Expression)
• Example: Two hundred attended, not including staff.

3. Including everyone

• Meaning: With no one left out. (Expression)
• Example: The invitation extends to the whole team, including everyone.

4. From X to Y, including

• Meaning: A range with the endpoints counted in. (Expression)
• Example: The sale runs Monday to Friday, including the weekend rush.

Sources: Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com

Word Formation of “including”

Etymology & Structure

“Including” is the present participle of the verb “include,” used as a preposition. “Include” comes from Latin “includere,” meaning to shut in or enclose (“in-” in + “claudere” to close). Etymonline records “include” in English from the early 15th century.

Date and History

The verb “include” is recorded from the 1400s. Its use as the preposition “including” to introduce lists is the standard modern form.

Word Class Variations

• Verb: include
• Preposition: including
• Adjective: inclusive
• Adverb: inclusively
• Noun: inclusion

Sources: Etymonline, Merriam-Webster

Common Word-Choice Mistakes

• Writing “includes” as a preposition: “including” introduces lists; “includes” is the verb (“the price includes tax”).
• Saying “including etc.”: redundant; “including” already implies the list continues.
• Using “comprise” backwards: “the team comprises ten players” is correct; “ten players comprise the team” is disputed, so prefer “compose” there.
• Writing “including, but not limited to” in casual text: it is legal language; plain writing can drop it.
• Saying “including of”: ungrammatical; “including” takes the noun directly (“including tax”).
• Confusing “inclusive” with “including”: “inclusive” is an adjective (“inclusive price”); “including” is a preposition.
• Using “plus” in formal contracts: “plus” is casual; “inclusive of” or “in addition to” is safer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the closest synonym for including?
“Containing” for the holding sense; “counting” for the totaling sense.

What is the difference between including and inclusive?
“Including” is a preposition that introduces items; “inclusive” is an adjective describing the whole.

Can including start a sentence?
Yes: “Including the tip, dinner cost $50” is correct.

What is a formal alternative to including?
“Inclusive of” is the most formal; “comprising” suits whole-part statements.

Is “including but not limited to” necessary?
Only in legal writing. In plain text it is wordy.

What is the opposite of including?
“Excluding” is the direct opposite.

Can including describe duties?
Yes: “the job includes travel” means travel is part of the role.

What is the difference between include and contain?
They overlap; “contain” stresses holding inside, while “include” stresses being part of a whole.

Is “including etc.” correct?
No, it is redundant. End the list or use “including” alone.

How do you pronounce including?
/ɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/ in both US and UK English, stress on the second syllable.

Conclusion

The best alternative to “including” depends on the job: “containing” for what is inside, “counting” for totals, “involving” for duties, and “as well as” or “plus” for simple list-building. The 24 words and phrases above cover formal documents, casual speech, and everything between.

Small connecting words do quiet work, and choosing them well keeps lists clean and totals honest. That same care with small words runs through another word for reinforce.

Most of the time, though, the plain word wins. “Including” is clear, flexible, and usually the better choice: no substitute needed.