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instill

Syllabification: (in·still)
Pronunciation: /inˈstil/
(British also instil)
Translate instill | into French | into German | into Spanish
Definition of instill

verb

[with object]
  • 1gradually but firmly establish (an idea or attitude, especially a desirable one) in a person’s mind:how do we instill a sense of rightness in today’s youth?
  • 2put (a substance) into something in the form of liquid drops:she was told how to instill eye drops

Derivatives

instillation

Pronunciation: /ˌinstəˈlāSHən/
noun

instillment

noun

Origin:

late Middle English (instill (sense 2)): from Latin instillare, from in- 'into' + stillare 'to drop' (from stilla 'a drop')

instill in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of instill in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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