implant

1.nounB2

Definition

a man-made object or piece of natural tissue that is placed inside the body during a medical operation to replace a missing body part or support a body function

Example

Kemi's dentist fitted a small dental implant to replace her broken tooth.

collocation: dental implant

The surgeon checked the position of the hip implant before closing the cut.

collocation: hip implant

Common collocations

dental implant
hip implant
breast implant
cochlear implant
metal implant
implant surgery

Synonyms

prosthesis
formal medical term for an artificial body part; broader than implant, includes external devices like artificial limbs
graft
refers specifically to transplanted tissue, not man-made devices

Antonyms

natural tooth
original body part not replaced by an implant

Grammar Patterns

dental/hip/breast/cochlear + implant

Usage Note

The specific body part is usually placed before 'implant' as a compound noun, e.g. dental implant, hip implant, breast implant. Cochlear implant is a fixed term for a hearing device.

Common Mistakes

The doctor gave me an implant tooth.

The doctor gave me a dental implant.

When referring to a replacement tooth, use 'dental implant' as the fixed compound.

2.nounC1

Definition

a small medical device or pellet placed inside body tissue to release hormones, medicine, or radiation over a long period

Example

The doctor placed a radioactive implant inside the tumour to shrink it.

collocation: radioactive implant

Hormone implants are sometimes used as a birth control method for women.

collocation: hormone implant

Common collocations

radioactive implant
hormone implant
cancer treatment implant

Synonyms

pellet
a small solid mass of medicine that can be implanted; narrower, refers to the physical form
capsule
a small container of medicine; usually taken orally, but can also refer to an implant form

Grammar Patterns

radioactive/hormone + implant

Usage Note

This sense differs from noun/1 (MEDICAL DEVICE) in that the implant's primary purpose is to release a substance into the body over time, rather than to replace or support a body part.

1.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to put a man-made object, piece of natural tissue, or group of cells into a person's body during a medical operation, usually to replace a missing part or help the body work better

Example

The surgical team implanted a pacemaker in Felix's chest to regulate his heartbeat.

collocation: implant a pacemaker

Doctors implanted a small metal rod in Linh's arm to fix the broken bone.

Common collocations

implant a pacemaker
implant a device
implant cells
implant a lens
surgically implanted

Synonyms

insert
more general; does not necessarily involve surgery or permanence
graft
specifically for transplanting skin, bone, or living tissue rather than man-made objects

Antonyms

remove
to take an implant out of the body
extract
formal term for removing something surgically

Grammar Patterns

implant + object + in/into + body part

be implanted in/into + body part

Usage Note

The object being placed comes right after 'implant', followed by 'in' or 'into' and the body location. Frequently used in the passive: 'A pacemaker was implanted in his chest.'

Common Mistakes

The surgeon implanted the wound.

The surgeon implanted a device in the wound.

You implant the object, not the location.

2.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to make someone begin to think or feel a particular idea, belief, or attitude, often gradually and with lasting effect — for example, implanting confidence in a shy child, or implanting a sense of duty in a trainee

Example

His primary school teacher implanted a lasting love of reading in him.

pattern: implant + [emotion] + in + [person]

Propaganda can implant false beliefs in people who lack access to reliable news.

Common collocations

implant an idea
implant a belief
implant confidence
implant a sense of
implant curiosity

Synonyms

instil
very similar in meaning, but suggests a gentler, gradual process
inculcate
more formal and intentional; often used in educational contexts
plant
less formal; can imply the idea is intended to grow or develop later

Antonyms

eradicate
to completely remove a belief or feeling
uproot
to remove a firmly held belief or attitude

Grammar Patterns

implant + abstract noun + in/into + person/mind

Usage Note

The object is always an abstract noun (idea, belief, doubt, love, curiosity, confidence). The structure is implant + [abstract thing] + in + [person or person's mind]. Unlike the medical sense, this cannot be used in the passive with an animate subject retaining the same meaning.

Common Mistakes

She implanted me that I should study hard.

She implanted the idea of studying hard in my mind.

The direct object must be the abstract thing, not the person.

3.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to place something very firmly into a surface or substance so that it stays in position, often using force or pressure

Example

Hui implanted the fence post deep into the ground with a heavy mallet.

The builder implanted steel rods into the wet concrete before it set.

pattern: implant + object + into + material

Common collocations

implant in the ground
implant firmly
deeply implanted

Synonyms

embed
very similar but suggests the object becomes surrounded by the material
lodge
implies the object becomes stuck, sometimes unintentionally
fix
more general; does not necessarily require force

Antonyms

remove
to take something out
dislodge
to force something out of its position

Grammar Patterns

implant + object + in/into + surface/substance

Usage Note

This sense refers to physical force or pressure to embed an object, without any medical context. It is less common than the medical sense and more likely to appear in technical or literary descriptions.

4.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

to become attached to the inside surface of the uterus or to body tissue so that growth can begin, referring to a fertilised egg, embryo, or transplanted cells

Example

The fertilised egg implanted in the wall of Sade's uterus within a week.

intransitive: the egg implants in [location]

For the pregnancy to succeed, the embryo must implant properly in the first few days.

Common collocations

implant in the uterus
egg implants
embryo implants
implant successfully
implant in tissue

Synonyms

embed
general term for becoming fixed in surrounding material; less specific to reproduction
attach
less specific; does not capture the biological process of embedding in tissue

Antonyms

detach
to become separated from the tissue or uterus
reject
when the body refuses the implant (e.g. the uterus rejects the embryo)

Grammar Patterns

implant (intransitive)

implant + in/into + tissue/uterus

implant oneself/itself

Usage Note

This is the only sense of 'implant' that can be used intransitively (without a direct object). The subject is always a fertilised egg, embryo, or cells. It can also take a reflexive form: 'The cells implanted themselves.'

Common Mistakes

The baby implanted in the uterus.

The fertilised egg implanted in the uterus.

It is the fertilised egg or embryo that implants, not the baby.

Word family

implantation
nounC1
implantable
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe fixing an idea or feeling in someone's mind, but they differ in force, formality, and connotation. 'Implant' (verb/2) suggests putting an idea firmly in place, often implying a deliberate or external agent — propaganda implants beliefs, a teacher implants curiosity. 'Instil' suggests a gentler, more gradual process: a parent instils manners over years, drop by drop. 'Inculcate' is more formal and intentional, used in educational or institutional contexts: schools inculcate civic values through repeated instruction. 'Plant' is the least formal and can imply the idea is placed early and allowed to grow naturally: a remark planted doubt in her mind. For everyday use, 'implant' and 'instil' are most common; 'inculcate' sounds academic or official. Example: 'The coach instilled a sense of teamwork, while the propaganda campaign implanted fear in the population.'

implant ↗instilinculcateplant ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

implant in the body
implant into tissue
successfully implanted

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'implant' comes from Latin 'im-' (a variant of 'in-', meaning 'in' or 'into') plus 'plantare' (to plant, to fix in place). The literal sense was 'to plant something in the ground'. It entered English in the mid-1500s through French 'implantaer', first meaning 'to plant or fix something physically'. By the 1600s it had gained the figurative meaning of 'fixing ideas or habits in the mind'. The medical and surgical meanings emerged in the 1800s as medical technology advanced, and the biological sense relating to embryos and tissue embedding developed in the early 1900s.

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implant

implant — noun

1. a man-made object or piece of natural tissue that is placed inside the body duri

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a small medical device or pellet placed inside body tissue to release hormones,

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

implant — verb

1. to put a man-made object, piece of natural tissue, or group of cells into a pers

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to make someone begin to think or feel a particular idea, belief, or attitude, o

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. to place something very firmly into a surface or substance so that it stays in p

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

4. to become attached to the inside surface of the uterus or to body tissue so that

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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