First published 1900; not fully revised
involutionnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun involution mean?
There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun involution. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
involution has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun involution?
About 0.6occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.12 |
| 1760 | 0.14 |
| 1770 | 0.16 |
| 1780 | 0.21 |
| 1790 | 0.25 |
| 1800 | 0.3 |
| 1810 | 0.32 |
| 1820 | 0.35 |
| 1830 | 0.4 |
| 1840 | 0.48 |
| 1850 | 0.6 |
| 1860 | 0.86 |
| 1870 | 1.1 |
| 1880 | 1.2 |
| 1890 | 1.4 |
| 1900 | 1.4 |
| 1910 | 1.3 |
| 1920 | 1.2 |
| 1930 | 1.1 |
| 1940 | 0.96 |
| 1950 | 0.92 |
| 1960 | 0.78 |
| 1970 | 0.69 |
| 1980 | 0.61 |
| 1990 | 0.53 |
| 2000 | 0.48 |
| 2010 | 0.44 |
How is the noun involution pronounced?
British English
/ɪnvəˈl(j)uːʃən/
Where does the noun involution come from?
Earliest known use
early 1600s
The earliest known use of the noun involution is in the early 1600s.
OED's earliest evidence for involution is from 1611, in the writing of Randle Cotgrave, lexicographer.
involution is a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: Latin involūtiōn-em.
Nearby entries
- involuntary, adj.1531–
- involuntary manslaughter, n.1792–
- involunto-motory, adj.1878–
- involutant, n.1890–
- involute, adj. & n.1661–
- involute, v.1904–
- involuted, adj.1816–
- involutedly, adv.1879–
- involutely, adv.1681–
- involuting, n.1884–
- involution, n.1611–
- involutional, adj.1910–
- involutionary, adj.1920–
- involutive, adj.1855–
- involutorial, adj.1885–
- involutory, adj.1941–
- involve, v.1382–
- involved, adj.?1611–
- involvedly, adv.1624–
- involvedness, n.1654–
- involvement, n.1632–
Etymology
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Meaning & use
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Pronunciation
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Frequency
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Compounds & derived words
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Entry history for involution, n.
involution, n. was first published in 1900; not fully revised.
involution, n. was last modified in June 2025.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project, and oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Entries which have not been fully revised may include partial interim updates, including:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, especially to improve clarity, accuracy, or intelligibility;
- new or updated quotation evidence, and reverified or redated bibliographical information;
- new or updated pronunciations (transcriptions and audio files);
- new or revised etymological information and improved coverage of variant spellings;
- new senses or phrases added in print and online updates since OED2 (1989).
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into involution, n. in June 2025.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1900)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Permanent link:
Chicago 18
Oxford English Dictionary, “,” , .
Copied to clipboard
MLA 9
“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .
Copied to clipboard
APA 7
Oxford University Press. (n.d.). In Oxford English dictionary. Retrieved , from
Copied to clipboard
Contribute
Citation details
Factsheet for involution, n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- involuntary, adj.1531–
- involuntary manslaughter, n.1792–
- involunto-motory, adj.1878–
- involutant, n.1890–
- involute, adj. & n.1661–
- involute, v.1904–
- involuted, adj.1816–
- involutedly, adv.1879–
- involutely, adv.1681–
- involuting, n.1884–
- involution, n.1611–
- involutional, adj.1910–
- involutionary, adj.1920–
- involutive, adj.1855–
- involutorial, adj.1885–
- involutory, adj.1941–
- involve, v.1382–
- involved, adj.?1611–
- involvedly, adv.1624–
- involvedness, n.1654–
- involvement, n.1632–
