What does intake mean?
Intake describes the movement or reception of something into a person, place, process, or system. In everyday health and nutrition language, it usually means the amount of food, drink, energy, or nutrients that someone consumes, as in “daily calorie intake.” It can also refer to the number of students or employees admitted by an institution, or to the opening through which air or fluid enters a machine. The verb intake means to take in, receive, admit, or recruit, and is especially common in institutional and technical contexts. Together, these uses share a basic idea: something crosses a boundary and becomes part of a person, organization, or system. The word is useful because it can describe both the quantity involved and the process of accepting or receiving it, depending on context.
The action or amount of something entering, being received, or being consumed; also, the number of people admitted to an institution or recruited into an organization.
"The recommended intake of fruit is at least five portions a day."
The noun is especially common in health, nutrition, education, employment, and technical contexts. The plural intakes is used for separate quantities or occasions of receiving or admitting something.
To receive, admit, take in, or recruit; in health contexts, to consume.
"The clinic intakes new patients through its referral program."
As a verb, intake is often used in institutional or technical settings, particularly in reference to patients, students, employees, or materials.
Intakes is used for separate quantities received or consumed, and for separate groups of people admitted or recruited.
"The university increased its intakes of graduate students."
Your daily intake is not only what you eat; it is also the amount of information, people, and energy entering your world.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intake come from?
Intake was formed in the early 19th century from the prefix in- and the verb take, meaning “to take in.” Its development follows the ordinary English pattern of combining a Latin-derived prefix with an existing English verb. Words such as take, taken, and undertake share the same verbal root and express related ideas of taking, receiving, or undertaking an action.
Related word forms
How intake is actually used
In health and nutrition contexts, intake commonly refers to the quantity of a substance consumed, often with a modifier such as calorie, protein, fluid, or vitamin. In education and employment contexts, it can mean the admission or recruitment of people. As a verb, intake is common in formal and technical language and may sound somewhat institutional when referring to recruiting or admitting people.
Easily confused with intake
Intake usually means the amount or process of something entering a system, while uptake means the process of understanding, accepting, or adopting an idea or product.