enlist
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to engage for military service.
to enlist men for the army.
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to secure (a person, services, etc.) for some cause, enterprise, etc..
They enlisted us to serve as ushers at the meeting.
verb
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to enter or persuade to enter into an engagement to serve in the armed forces
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(tr) to engage or secure (a person, his services, or his support) for a venture, cause, etc
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to enter into or join an enterprise, cause, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has enlistedperfect 3rd person singular
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have enlistedperfect
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are enlistingprogressive
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has been enlistingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is enlistingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am enlistingprogressive 1st person singular
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enlistingparticiple
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enlistssingular 3rd person
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have been enlistingperfect progressive
Past
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had enlistedperfect
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had been enlistingperfect progressive
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was enlistingprogressive singular
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enlistedparticiple
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were enlistingprogressive plural
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enlistedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of enlist
Explanation
To enlist is to voluntarily join the military. You may have seen television commercials or posters encouraging people to enlist. There are various ways people end up in the military. Sometimes there's a draft, which selects people whether they want to go or not. Sometimes people enlist, which means they sign up on their own. Enlisting also refers to recruiting or hiring people for some purpose or organization. If you are moving, you might try to enlist your friends to help — good luck with that.
Vocabulary lists containing enlist
Veterans Day Vocabulary
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Memorial Day: Words of Respect and Remembrance
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Code Talker
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bird enthusiast and Sevidov's best friend, Vyacheslav Kaistro, did enlist.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
On top of adding Toph to their ranks, Aang and his gang will also be working to enlist more allies in the war being waged by the Fire Nation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
For that reason, I suggest you enlist independent third-party help: a fee-only fiduciary who can give you a bird’s-eye view of your finances and who has no incentive to sell you another policy.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
One of the world's biggest pop acts, BTS were at the peak of their fame when they had to enlist for mandatory military service, starting with Jin in 2022.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
Horse-mounted couriers and telegraph wires were alive all day with instructions to troops to enlist the help of fishermen and others on the river to capture the fugitives.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
