bring in
B1Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
To introduce or cause to enter a place, situation, or discussion; to earn or yield money.
To introduce a new law, system, or practice; to involve a person or group in an activity; to announce a verdict in court; to harvest a crop.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A separable phrasal verb. The object can often come between 'bring' and 'in' (e.g., 'bring new rules in'). The meaning shifts significantly based on context: physical introduction, financial gain, or procedural implementation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both varieties use all core meanings. 'Bring in the harvest' is slightly more common in UK agricultural contexts.
Connotations
Similar neutral/business connotations in both.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK legal/parliamentary contexts ('bring in a bill/law').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SVO (sep): [Someone] brings [something/someone] in.SVOA: [Someone] brings in [an amount] a year.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Bring in the new year”
- “Bring in the heavy artillery (figurative)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common: 'The new product is expected to bring in significant revenue.'
Academic
Used in social sciences: 'The study brings in perspectives from critical theory.'
Everyday
Common: 'Could you bring in the washing? It's starting to rain.'
Technical
Legal: 'The jury brought in a verdict of not guilty.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The government will bring in stricter regulations next April.
- The shop brings in about £500 a day.
American English
- The company decided to bring in a specialist from New York.
- His investments bring in over $100,000 annually.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please bring in your homework tomorrow.
- He brought in the groceries from the car.
- The new manager wants to bring in some changes.
- Her part-time job brings in extra money.
- The legislation brought in last year has proven ineffective.
- We need to bring in an independent auditor to review the accounts.
- The judge directed the jury to bring in a verdict based solely on the evidence.
- His innovative approach brought in a paradigm shift within the research community.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BRIDE being BROUGHT IN to the wedding ceremony. This visual connects 'bring' (to carry) and 'in' (into a space).
Conceptual Metaphor
MOVEMENT IS CHANGE (Introducing something new is conceptualised as physically moving it into a space). MONEY IS A LIQUID/OBJECT THAT CAN BE BROUGHT IN.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'приносить' for simple carrying. 'Bring in' implies introduction to a system or group.
- The financial meaning ('приносить доход') is a fixed collocation.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *'They brought in the problem.' (Use 'brought up'). Correct: 'They brought in an expert on the problem.'
- Incorrect word order: *'They brought in it.' Correct (separable): 'They brought it in.'
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'bring in' have a primarily FINANCIAL meaning?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can say 'bring the chairs in' or 'bring in the chairs'. With pronouns, it must be separated: 'bring them in' (not *'bring in them').
'Bring in' means to introduce or earn. 'Bring on' usually means to cause something (often negative: 'bring on a headache') or to introduce a performer/player onto a stage/field.
Yes, especially in formal/business contexts. E.g., 'New safety measures were brought in after the accident.'
Conceptually, yes. 'Income' is the money that is 'brought in'. The phrasal verb is the action, the noun is the result.