What does integrating mean?
“Integrating” means bringing separate parts together and making them work as a coherent whole. It is commonly used for combining systems, data, technologies, organizations, or perspectives: a company may integrate customer feedback into its products, while a curriculum may integrate science and art. The word can suggest not merely placing things side by side but making their connections and interactions effective. It can also have a precise mathematical meaning: integrating a function means calculating its integral, a process associated with accumulating values over an interval. In general use, “integrating” is practical and constructive, emphasizing coordination and inclusion rather than conflict. It is often interchangeable with “combining,” “incorporating,” or “merging,” depending on the context. The related forms “integrate” and “integration” are especially common in business, technology, education, and design.
To combine or incorporate parts so that they form a unified whole or operate effectively together.
"The engineers are integrating the new sensor with the existing monitoring system."
Common in technology, business, education, and design contexts; it often emphasizes making separate components work together.
To calculate the integral of a mathematical function.
"The student integrated the function with respect to x."
This is a specialized mathematical use; the form is typically accompanied by an equation or an object of integration.
Serving to combine or coordinate separate elements into a unified whole.
"The integrating role of the project manager helped keep the team aligned."
Less common as a standalone adjective, but established in technical and institutional contexts.
The word “integrating” shares a root with “integer,” from the Latin for “whole”: integration is the art of making separate parts work as one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does integrating come from?
“Integrate” comes from Latin integrare, meaning “to make whole,” from integer, “whole” or “intact.” The English verb entered use in the early 17th century and was initially associated especially with mathematical calculation and the bringing of parts into a whole. Its development preserved the central idea of combining separate elements into a complete, unified system. Related words include “integral,” “integrity,” “integer,” and “entire,” all reflecting the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How integrating is actually used
In everyday and technical usage, “integrating” often suggests bringing separate systems, ideas, or groups together in a coordinated way. In mathematics, it is the standard term for calculating an integral.
Easily confused with integrating
“Integrating” describes the process of combining components, while “integrated” describes the resulting combined state.