diff --git a/src/entt/entity/sparse_set.hpp b/src/entt/entity/sparse_set.hpp
index 9e8db478a..18ae55b41 100644
--- a/src/entt/entity/sparse_set.hpp
+++ b/src/entt/entity/sparse_set.hpp
@@ -367,12 +367,18 @@ public:
      *
      * @param entt A valid entity identifier.
      */
-    void construct(const entity_type entt) {
+    void emplace(const entity_type entt) {
         ENTT_ASSERT(!has(entt));
         assure(page(entt))[offset(entt)] = entity_type(direct.size());
         direct.push_back(entt);
     }
 
+    /*! @copydoc emplace */
+    [[deprecated("use ::emplace instead")]]
+    void construct(const entity_type entt) {
+        emplace(entt);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @brief Assigns one or more entities to a sparse set.
      *
@@ -387,7 +393,7 @@ public:
      * @param last An iterator past the last element of the range of entities.
      */
     template<typename It>
-    void construct(It first, It last) {
+    void insert(It first, It last) {
         std::for_each(first, last, [this, next = direct.size()](const auto entt) mutable {
             ENTT_ASSERT(!has(entt));
             assure(page(entt))[offset(entt)] = entity_type(next++);
@@ -396,6 +402,13 @@ public:
         direct.insert(direct.end(), first, last);
     }
 
+    /*! @copydoc insert */
+    template<typename It>
+    [[deprecated("use ::insert instead")]]
+    void construct(It first, It last) {
+        insert(std::move(first), std::move(last));
+    }
+
     /**
      * @brief Removes an entity from a sparse set.
      *