bring in
2 meanings
ask someone to help with a particular job or task
What does "bring in" mean in this sense?
Examples
- The company brought in a specialist to redesign their IT systems.
- She was brought in as a mediator after talks broke down.
- They decided to bring external consultants in rather than train their own staff.
How to use it
The most common structure, with the person or group placed directly after the particle. A purpose clause with 'to + infinitive' very frequently follows.
The board decided to bring in an external consultant to review the company's finances.
Separation is also natural with noun objects, especially shorter ones like 'a specialist' or 'an expert'.
When negotiations stalled, they brought a mediator in to help both sides reach an agreement.
When the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle — it cannot follow 'in'.
The team was struggling, so management decided to bring her in to take charge of the project.
The passive is extremely common with this sense, especially when the focus is on the person engaged and the purpose they serve.
A team of independent auditors was brought in to examine the company's accounts.
This pattern emphasises where the person is coming from, reinforcing that they are an outside resource.
They brought in a troubleshooter from their headquarters in New York to sort out the problems.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When the object is a pronoun like 'them', 'her', or 'him', it must go between 'bring' and 'in', not after 'in'. Placing a pronoun after the particle is ungrammatical in English.
'Bring in' has other meanings: it can mean to earn money ('The project brings in $50,000 a year') or to introduce a law or rule ('The government brought in new regulations'). Make sure the object is a person or group — not a sum of money or a policy — when using this sense.
While not grammatically required, 'bring in' in this sense almost always needs a 'to + infinitive' clause to explain why the person was engaged. Without it, the sentence often feels incomplete or unclear.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English, but is especially common in business and news contexts. It nearly always refers to someone from outside the organisation, and is usually followed by 'to + infinitive' to explain why they were hired.
introduce a new law, rule, or system
Sense 2: What does "bring sth in" mean?
Examples
- The government brought in new regulations to reduce plastic waste.
- Stricter speed limits were brought in after a series of serious accidents.
- Are they really planning to bring in a tax on sugary drinks?
How to use it
The most common pattern, where a government or authority introduces a new law, rule, or measure as the object.
The council brought in new parking restrictions to reduce congestion in the city centre.
With short noun phrases, the object can be placed between the verb and particle for a slightly more informal feel.
The government brought a new tax in to help fund public transport improvements.
When replacing the object with a pronoun, it must always go between 'bring' and 'in' — this is not optional.
The regulations were controversial, but the authorities brought them in anyway.
The passive is very common, especially in news reporting, where the focus is on the law rather than on who introduced it.
Mandatory recycling rules are expected to be brought in before the end of the year.
Often used with verbs expressing intention or necessity when discussing proposed legislation.
The health ministry is planning to bring in stricter guidelines on food labelling.
Common Collocations
Common Mistakes
When the object of 'bring in' is a person, the meaning shifts entirely — it means to hire or recruit someone, not to introduce a law. Make sure your object is an abstract thing like a rule, ban, or system.
'Bring about' means to cause something to happen in a general sense, while 'bring in' specifically refers to the formal introduction of a rule, law, or system by an authority. They are not interchangeable.
When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'bring' and 'in', never after 'in'.
Usage
This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both spoken and written English, but it is especially common in news and political contexts. It is used across both British and American English, though British media use it particularly frequently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'bring in' suggest the person is hired permanently or just for a short time?
'Bring in' typically implies a temporary, project-based, or external engagement rather than permanent employment. If you want to talk about formally hiring someone as a long-term employee, 'take on' is more natural. 'Bring in' focuses on engaging outside expertise for a specific purpose.
Can 'bring in' be used in the passive, and is it common?
Yes — the passive is actually one of the most natural ways to use this phrasal verb in this sense. Sentences like 'A specialist was brought in to assess the situation' are very common, especially in news reporting and business writing, because the focus is on the person engaged and what they were there to do.
Does 'bring in' always mean the person comes from outside the organisation?
Yes, this is a strong implication of the phrasal verb in this sense. Choosing to bring someone in signals that the required expertise or capacity wasn't available internally. If you're simply assigning a task to someone already on your team, 'bring in' would not be the right choice.
What's the difference between 'bring in' and 'call in' when talking about asking someone to help?
'Call in' often suggests an urgent or reactive situation — you call someone in because a problem has suddenly arisen. 'Bring in' implies a more deliberate, planned decision to engage outside expertise, and doesn't necessarily carry a sense of urgency. Both are natural in professional contexts, but the tone is slightly different.
Is it natural to use 'bring in' in the present continuous — for example, 'We are bringing in a consultant'?
It's possible, but sounds slightly unusual unless you're describing an active, ongoing process of hiring or recruiting. The past simple, present perfect, and passive forms are far more common with this phrasal verb, since the engagement is usually presented as a completed decision or established fact.
Does 'bring in' always refer to laws and rules, or can it mean other things?
No, 'bring in' has several different meanings depending on context. This sense specifically refers to introducing a law, rule, or system — you can test it by checking whether the object is something like a regulation, ban, or policy introduced by an authority. Other senses are covered separately on this platform.
Who can be the subject of 'bring in' in this sense?
The subject is almost always a collective authority or institution — the government, parliament, a council, the EU, or similar bodies. It would sound unnatural to say an individual person 'brought in' a law unless they are acting in an official capacity, such as a minister introducing legislation.
Is 'bring in' more common in British or American English?
It is used in both British and American English. However, you will notice it particularly often in British news media and political reporting, where it appears very frequently when discussing new legislation or government policy.
Can I use 'bring in' in the present perfect continuous — for example, 'has been bringing in'?
This form is unusual and rarely sounds natural. You would typically use the simple present perfect instead: 'The government has brought in several new measures this year.' The continuous form only works in rare cases where you want to describe a slow, ongoing legislative process.
What is the difference between 'bring in' and 'introduce' in this context?
'Introduce' is slightly more formal and is often preferred in official or parliamentary contexts. 'Bring in' is a little more colloquial but still sounds natural in both written and spoken English. In most everyday contexts, the two are interchangeable.
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