enroll
Americanverb (used with object)
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to write the name of (a person) in a roll or register; place upon a list; register.
It took two days to enroll the new students.
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to enlist (oneself ).
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to put in a record; record.
to enroll the minutes of a meeting; to enroll the great events of history.
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to roll or wrap up.
fruit enrolled in tissue paper.
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Nautical. to document (a U.S. vessel) by issuing a certificate of enrollment.
verb (used without object)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of enroll
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English enrollen, from Old French enroller. See en- 1, roll
Explanation
If you like clowning around but you're not quite ready for the circus, you could enroll in clown college to perfect your skills. When you enroll, that means you formally add your name to the list — or roll — of students. You can enroll in things other than schools or classes, and you can also enroll someone else. You might enroll your Chihuahua in a research project investigating whether dogs like to wear hats, or you could enroll your rude nephew in charm school. The "roll" of enroll goes back to the rolls of parchment that were used in medieval times for writing official documents.
Vocabulary lists containing enroll
The Circuit
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Education and Academics, List 1
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"An Early Start on College"
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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.
See Examples For:
Seniors who enroll in traditional Medicare fee-for-service also have a $1,736 deductible for inpatient hospital care, steep cost-sharing requirements and no limit on out-of-pocket spending.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
About half of Medicare beneficiaries, and most of those with lower incomes, enroll in Advantage plans because they provide comprehensive coverage at lower cost than fee-for-service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
She said she planned to enroll international students who want to learn English online and earn an American high school diploma.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
During tax season, households could enroll children by completing a certain form with their tax return.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
In the winter of 1851, Mendel boarded the train to enroll in his classes at the university.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Its participants had previously been enrolled in the SAHS.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
And California law does allow parents to skip immunizations for children who are enrolled in independent study programs and do not receive classroom-based instruction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
We enrolled in Affordable Care Act insurance beginning March 1.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
According to the Department of Economy, more than 2,100 students were enrolled on an HLA course in an FE College in Northern Ireland in 2024/25.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Manuela’s mom told me about it in the laundry room, so I enrolled you.”
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
Seniors also have the choice of enrolling in private federally subsidized Medicare Advantage insurance plans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
And joining them this week at practice, after just enrolling this summer, is a freshman wideout who some believe will be the best of the bunch, top-60 recruit Boobie Feaster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
They urged organisations to ramp up their cyber security measures by taking steps such as enrolling in the government-backed Cyber Essentials certification scheme.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
I’m also considering working with a credit-counseling agency or enrolling in a hardship program.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Mary followed the family tradition of enrolling in Hampton Institute, which had graduated her father, Frank Winston, her mother, Ella Scott Winston, and several of her ten older siblings.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
