Incorporate means to include something as a part of something larger, making it a natural and integrated piece of the whole. When a chef incorporates spices into a sauce, she stirs them in thoroughly so they blend throughout. When you write a story and incorporate feedback from your teacher, you weave her suggestions into your draft so seamlessly that the final version feels like one unified piece of work.

The word suggests making that new element an actual working part of the whole, fully integrated rather than simply added on. A basketball coach might incorporate a new play into the team's strategy, practicing it until it becomes second nature. A city might incorporate bike lanes into its streets, making them a permanent feature of how the city works.

You'll also hear incorporate in a business context: when entrepreneurs incorporate their company, they're officially creating it as a legal organization, a corporation. This kind of incorporating literally makes the business its own entity, separate from the individual owners.

The key to understanding incorporate is recognizing that it's about integration: you make something belong, weaving it into the fabric of the whole.