Standard Lemma guide

install

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪnˈstɔːl/
  • Australian, British, New-Zealand, Southern, Standard: /ɪnˈstoːl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ɪnˈstɔl/ without the cot–caught merger
  • US, cot-caught-merger: /ɪnˈstɑl/
  • Canada: /ɪnˈstɒl/
  • Scotland: /ɪnˈstɔl/
  • rhymes with -ɔːl
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N S T AO1 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An installation: the process of installing a software application.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • The install takes a long time, but you can run it in the background while working on other things.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An installation: a software application that has been installed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • I've customized my local install; the out-of-the-box version looks a bit different.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To connect, set up or prepare something for use

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To connect, set up or prepare something for use

To transfer software onto a device's permanent storage and put it in a state where it is ready to be run when needed, usually decompressing it if necessary and performing any necessary pre-first-run configuration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • I haven't installed the new operating system yet because of all the bugs.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To admit formally into an office, rank or position.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • He was installed as Chancellor of the University.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: seat

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To establish or settle in.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: reflexive, sometimes, transitive

Examples

  • I installed myself in my usual chair by the fire.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

set up for use

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • install the washer and dryer
  • We put in a new sink

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: instal, put in, set up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: put, set, place, pose, position, lay

Narrower terms: retrofit, reinstall, post, put up

8

verb

Meaning 8

place

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Her manager had set her up at the Ritz

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: instal, set up, establish

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

put into an office or a position

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the new president was installed immediately after the election

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: instal

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: induct, invest, seat, vest, enthrone

History

Etymology

From Middle English installen, from Old French installer, from Medieval Latin īnstallō (“to install, put in place, establish”), from in- + stallum (“stall”), from Frankish *stall (“stall, position, place”), from Proto-Germanic *stallaz (“place, position”), from Proto-Indo-European *stel-, *stAlǝn-, *stAlǝm- (“stem, trunk”). Cognate with Old High German stal (“location, stall”), Old English steall (“position, stall”), Old English onstellan (“to institute, create, originate, establish, give the example of”), Middle High German anstalt (“institute”), German anstellen (“to conduct, employ”), German einstellen (“to set, adjust, position”), Dutch aanstellen (“to appoint, commission, institute”), Dutch instellen (“to set up, establish”). More at in, stall.

Across languages

Translations

79 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: رَكَّبَ (rakkaba) — set something up for use
  • Armenian: տեղադրել (teġadrel) — set something up for use
  • Azerbaijani: quraşdırmaq — set something up for use
  • Bulgarian: монтирам (montiram) — set something up for use
  • Bulgarian: инсталирам (instaliram) — set something up for use
  • Catalan: instal·lar — set something up for use
  • Chinese Mandarin: 安裝 /安装 (ānzhuāng) — set something up for use
  • Czech: instalovat — set something up for use
  • Dutch: installeren — set something up for use
  • Dutch: aansluiten — set something up for use
  • Dutch: opzetten — set something up for use
  • Esperanto: instali — set something up for use
  • Finnish: asentaa — set something up for use
  • Finnish: installoida — set something up for use
  • French: installer — set something up for use
  • Galician: instalar — set something up for use
  • Georgian: დაყენება (daq̇eneba) — set something up for use
  • Georgian: ინსტალირება (insṭalireba) — set something up for use
  • Georgian: მოწყობა (moc̣q̇oba) — set something up for use
  • Georgian: დამონტაჟება (damonṭažeba) — set something up for use
  • Georgian: მოთავსება (motavseba) — set something up for use
  • Georgian: აწყობა (ac̣q̇oba) — set something up for use
  • Georgian: დადგმა (dadgma) — set something up for use
  • Georgian: გაყვანა (gaq̇vana) — set something up for use
  • German: installieren — set something up for use
  • Hebrew: התקין (hitkín) — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: telepít — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: installál — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: beszerel — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: bevezet — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: felszerel — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: beépít — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: beszereltet — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: bevezettet — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: felszereltet — set something up for use
  • Hungarian: beépíttet — set something up for use
  • Icelandic: setja upp — set something up for use
  • Indonesian: memasang — set something up for use
  • Italian: installare — set something up for use
  • Japanese: 導入する (dōnyū surú) — set something up for use
  • Japanese: インストールする (insutōru surú) — set something up for use
  • Khmer: ដំឡើង (dɑmlaəng) — set something up for use
  • Korean: 설치하다 (seolchihada) — set something up for use
  • Korean: 깔다 (kkalda) — set something up for use
  • Lithuanian: instaliuoti — set something up for use
  • Lithuanian: atsisiųsti — set something up for use
  • Lithuanian: įdiegti — set something up for use
  • Luxembourgish: instaléieren — set something up for use
  • Māori: whakanoho — set something up for use
  • Māori: tāuta — set something up for use
  • Norman: înstâller — set something up for use
  • Persian: نصبیدن — set something up for use
  • Polish: instalować — set something up for use
  • Polish: zainstalować — set something up for use
  • Portuguese: instalar — set something up for use
  • Russian: устана́вливать (ustanávlivatʹ) — set something up for use
  • Russian: установи́ть (ustanovítʹ) — set something up for use
  • Russian: инсталли́ровать (installírovatʹ) — set something up for use
  • Russian: монти́ровать (montírovatʹ) — set something up for use
  • Serbo-Croatian: instalirati — set something up for use
  • Spanish: instalar — set something up for use
  • Swedish: installera — set something up for use
  • Turkish: indirmek — set something up for use
  • Turkmen: gurnamak — set something up for use
  • Vietnamese: cài đặt — set something up for use
  • Bulgarian: въвеждам в длъжност (vǎveždam v dlǎžnost) — admit formally into a position
  • Finnish: palkata — admit formally into a position
  • Hungarian: beiktat — admit formally into a position
  • Māori: whakaoati — admit formally into a position
  • Swedish: installera — admit formally into a position
  • Bulgarian: устройвам (ustrojvam) — establish or settle in
  • Bulgarian: намествам (namestvam) — establish or settle in
  • Catalan: instal·lar — establish or settle in
  • Hungarian: elhelyezkedik — establish or settle in
  • Māori: whakanoho — establish or settle in
  • Portuguese: instalar — establish or settle in
  • Russian: помеща́ть (pomeščátʹ) — establish or settle in
  • Russian: помести́ть (pomestítʹ) — establish or settle in
  • Swedish: installera — establish or settle in