What does including mean?
Including is a form of include used before examples, members, or features to show that they belong within a larger group, category, scope, or description. For example, "including graduate students" indicates that graduate students are part of the group being mentioned. The word commonly appears in announcements, descriptions, research, legal and institutional writing, and everyday conversation. Its central implication is inclusion: the material that follows is being counted, mentioned, or covered by the preceding statement. Including does not necessarily mean that the accompanying list is complete, and it can therefore signal that the list gives representative examples rather than every possibility. This makes it useful for concise but informative communication, though more direct wording may be preferable in contexts where precision and completeness are especially important. Including can also function as a present participle when describing an action, such as when a policy or procedure is actively including someone in a program.
Introduces examples or members of a larger group, indicating that the listed items are included in the group or scope.
"The program provides support for students, including graduate students and international students."
It often introduces a non-exhaustive list of examples.
The present participle of include, especially in constructions where it forms part of a larger verb phrase.
"The updated guidance is including more flexibility for staff working remotely."
In many modern uses, this form is grammatically understood as a preposition introducing examples or a scope.
The word "including" quietly admits that the list is never the whole story.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does including come from?
Including was formed in English by adding the present-participle ending -ing to include. Include comes from Latin includere, formed from in-, meaning "into" or "in," and claudere, meaning "to shut" or "close," with the Latin verb meaning to enclose or include. The same Latin foundation appears in related English words such as inclusive, inclusion, and includable.
How including is actually used
Including is neutral in register and is especially common in formal and informational writing. It often signals that the examples given are representative rather than exhaustive, so it can be useful when a complete list would be too long, although some readers may find it vague or bureaucratic in formal correspondence.
Easily confused with including
Including means that something is counted as part of a group or scope, whereas excluded means that it is deliberately left out.