enter

¹ American  

[en-ter] / ˈɛn tər /

verb (used without object)

1. to come or go in.

   Knock before you enter.

   Antonyms:

   leave

2. to be admitted into a school, competition, etc..

   Some contestants enter as late as a day before the race.

3. to make a beginning (often followed by on orupon ).

   We have entered upon a new phase in history.

4. Theater. to come upon the stage (used in stage directions as the 3rd person imperative singular or plural).

   Enter Othello, and Iago at a distance.

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verb (used with object)

1. to come or go into.

   He just entered the building. The thought never entered my mind.

2. to penetrate or pierce.

   The bullet entered the flesh.

3. to put in or insert.

   Antonyms:

   remove

4. to become a member of; join.

   to enter a club.

5. to cause to be admitted, as into a school, competition, etc..

   to enter a horse in a race.

6. to make a beginning of or in, or begin upon; engage or become involved in.

   He entered the medical profession.

7. to share in; have an intuitive understanding of.

   In order to appreciate the novel, one must be able to enter the spirit of the work.

8. to make a record of; record or register.

   to enter a new word in a dictionary.

9. Law.

   1. to make a formal record of (a fact).

   2. to occupy or to take possession of (lands); make an entrance, entry, ingress in, under claim of a right to possession.

   3. to file an application for (public lands).

10. Computers. to put (a document, program, data, etc.) into a computer system.

    Enter your new document into the word-processing system.

11. to put forward, submit, or register formally.

    to enter an objection to a proposed action; to enter a bid for a contract.

12. to report (a ship, cargo, etc.) at the custom house.

verb phrase

1. enter into

   1. to participate in; engage in.

   2. to investigate; consider.

      We will enter into the question of inherited characteristics at a future time.

   3. to sympathize with; share in.

   4. to form a constituent part or ingredient of.

      There is another factor that enters into the situation.

   5. to go into a particular state.

      to enter into a state of suspended animation.

enter- ² American  

1. variant of entero- before a vowel.

   enteritis.

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enter British  

/ ˈɛntə /

verb

1. to come or go into (a place, house, etc)

2. to penetrate or pierce

3. (tr) to introduce or insert

4. to join (a party, organization, etc)

5. to become involved or take part (in)

   to enter a game

   to enter into an agreement

6. (tr) to record (an item such as a commercial transaction) in a journal, account, register, etc

7. (tr) to record (a name, etc) on a list

8. (tr) to present or submit

   to enter a proposal

9. (intr) theatre to come on stage: used as a stage direction

   enter Juliet

10. to begin; start

    to enter upon a new career

11. to come into possession (of)

12. (tr) to place (evidence, a plea, etc) before a court of law or upon the court records

13. (tr) law

    1. to go onto and occupy (land)

    2. to file a claim to (public lands)

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Usage

What does enter- mean? Enter- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “intestine.” The intestines are the long tract of the digestive system that runs from the stomach to the anus. Enter- is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.Enter- comes from the Greek énteron, meaning “intestine.” A scientific term for the digestive tract (alimentary canal) is enteron, which comes from this same Greek root. The word dysentery, literally meaning “bad bowels,” also derives from the Greek énteron.Enter- is a variant of entero-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use entero- article.

Other Word Forms

• enterable adjective
• enterer noun
• preenter verb (used without object)
• unenterable adjective
• unentered adjective
• well-entered adjective

Etymology

Origin of enter

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English entren, from Old French entrer, from Latin intrāre “to enter,” from intrā intra- ( def. )

Example Sentences

At number three, Australian band Tame Impala enter the top 10 singles chart for the first time with Dracula.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Voyager 2 needed more than nine and a half years just to fly past the planet, without attempting to enter orbit.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

If Orban's party wins in the April 12 elections, he would enter his fifth straight term in office.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

But it doesn’t matter, just grab your best tight denim and thick leatherware and enter Club Bahia’s famed “Summer in Van Nuys Room,” for a night of pure heat, lunges and Nama-staying hydrated.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

We enter through one of the ancient walled gates into the old city, driving slowly through the bumpy cobblestoned streets and narrow alleys.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• arrive
• come in
• get in
• go in
• infiltrate
• introduce
• invade
• penetrate