integrate

integrate — verb

1. to start living as part of a community or social group, taking part in shared ac

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to start living as part of a community or social group, taking part in shared activities and adjusting to local customs

Example

After two years in Osaka, the Lakan family felt fully integrated into their neighbourhood.

passive: be integrated into [community]

International students often integrate more easily when they join campus clubs and sports teams.

Common collocations
  • into a community
  • into society
  • with local people
  • into the workforce
  • with classmates
Synonyms
  • assimilate

    stronger implication of fully adopting the dominant culture, while integrate focuses on joining while possibly keeping some differences

  • blend in

    informal; suggests fitting in without drawing attention rather than formally joining

  • merge

    suggests losing separate identity to form one group, whereas integrate allows for maintaining some distinctness

Antonyms
  • segregate

    to keep separate from the main group, often by force or policy

  • isolate

    to keep apart from others, not necessarily within a group setting

Grammar Patterns

integrate into [group/community]

integrate with [group]

integrate [person/group] into [society]

Usage Note

Subject is often a person or group joining a new community (immigrants, refugees, students). The intransitive pattern (integrate into/with) is more common than the transitive use (integrate someone into).

Common Mistakes

The new students integrated.' (too vague — integrated into/with what?)
The new students integrated well with their classmates.
specify the group or community being joined.

2. to bring separate parts or systems together so that they operate as a single, we

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to bring separate parts or systems together so that they operate as a single, well-coordinated unit

Example

Takeshi integrated his morning walk with his daily phone calls to save time.

integrate [thing] with [thing]

Mira's company plans to integrate the new software into its existing ordering system.

integrate [thing] into [system]

Common collocations
  • seamlessly with
  • into the workflow
  • with existing systems
  • closely integrated
  • fully integrated
Synonyms
  • combine

    more general; simply means putting things together without implying smooth coordination

  • merge

    suggests the original parts lose their separate identities in the result

  • incorporate

    means making one thing part of a larger whole, usually keeping the larger whole's identity

Antonyms
  • separate

    to keep or move things apart from each other

  • divide

    to split into smaller parts, the opposite of bringing together

Grammar Patterns

integrate [thing] into [system]

integrate [thing] with [thing]

integrate [thing] and [thing]

Usage Note

Common in business, technology, and planning contexts. When two items join while retaining some separate identity, use integrate A with B. When one item becomes part of a larger whole, use integrate A into B.

Common Mistakes

We need to integrate our systems together.
We need to integrate our systems.
'together' is redundant because integrate already implies bringing things into a unit.

3. in mathematics, to use calculus to find the total area under a curve or the sum

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

in mathematics, to use calculus to find the total area under a curve or the sum of a function over a given range

Example

In her calculus exam, Élise had to integrate a complex trigonometric function.

integrate [function] (mathematics)

Harper learned how to integrate equations in his advanced mathematics course.

Common collocations
  • integrate a function
  • integrate an equation
  • integrate over an interval
  • integrate from x to y
Antonyms
  • differentiate

    to find the derivative of a function, the inverse operation of integration

Grammar Patterns

integrate [function] from [value] to [value]

integrate [function] over [interval]

Usage Note

Almost always transitive with a mathematical object as direct object (function, equation, expression). Used almost exclusively in formal mathematics, physics, and engineering contexts. The opposite operation is differentiate.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All five words describe joining things, but they differ in how the original parts are treated. Combine is the most general term — it simply means to put things together (combine ingredients for a cake). Merge suggests that the original parts lose their separate identities to form a single new entity (the two schools merged into one academy). Integrate implies that parts work together smoothly while potentially retaining some identity, especially in systems (integrate the new data with the existing database). Incorporate means making one thing a part of a larger whole (incorporate feedback into the final design). Unify focuses on bringing separate groups or parts together for a common purpose, often with an emphasis on harmony (unify the team behind a shared goal). For everyday joining, use combine; for systems working together, use integrate.

integrate ↗combine ↗merge ↗incorporate ↗unify ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • try to integrate
  • need to integrate
  • plan to integrate
  • help integrate
  • work to integrate

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Integrate comes from the Latin verb integrare, meaning 'to make whole,' which is built from integer meaning 'whole, untouched' (in- 'not' + tangere 'to touch'). The word entered English in the 1600s, first used for the idea of making something complete or restoring wholeness. The mathematical sense — finding the area under a curve — appeared in the early 1800s, based on the idea of summing up tiny parts to form a whole. The social sense of bringing people into full membership in a community became common in the mid-1900s, especially around discussions of civil rights and immigration.