en
noun
the letter N, n.
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en-
en-a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from French and productive in English on this model, forming verbs with the general sense “to cause (a person or thing) to be in” the place, condition, or state named by the stem; more specifically, “to confine in or place on” (enshrine; enthrone; entomb ); “to cause to be in” (enslave; entrust; enrich; encourage; endear ); “to restrict” in the manner named by the stem, typically with the additional sense “on all sides, completely” (enwind; encircle; enclose; entwine ). This prefix is also attached to verbs in order to make them transitive, or to give them a transitive marker if they are already transitive (enkindle; enliven; enshield; enface ).
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-en
-ena suffix formerly used to form transitive and intransitive verbs from adjectives (fasten; harden; sweeten ), or from nouns (heighten; lengthen; strengthen ).
en
1 American
[en]
/ ɛn /
noun
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the letter N, n.
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Also called nut. Printing. half of the width of an em.
adjective
EN
2
American
abbreviation
Biology, Ecology.
en-
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American
en-
4
American
-en
5
American
-en
6
American
-en
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American
-en
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American
-en
9
American
en-
1
British
prefix
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(from nouns)
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put in or on
entomb
enthrone
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go on or into
enplane
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surround or cover with
enmesh
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furnish with
empower
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(from adjectives and nouns) cause to be in a certain condition
enable
encourage
enrich
enslave
EN
2
British
abbreviation
-
enrolled nurse
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English Nature
-en
3
British
suffix
-en
4
British
suffix
en-
5
British
prefix
en
6
British
/ ɛn /
noun
Etymology
Origin of en1
First recorded in 1785–95
Origin of en-3
Middle English < Old French < Latin in- in- 2
Origin of en-4
From Greek (often through Latin ); cognate with in- 1, in- 2
Origin of -en5
Middle English, Old English -n- (as in Middle English fastnen, Old English fǣstnian “to make fast, fasten”); cognate with -n- of like verbs in other Germanic languages ( Old Norse fastna )
Origin of -en6
Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German -īn, Gothic -eins, Latin -īnus; see -ine 1
Origin of -en7
Middle English, Old English; cognate with German -en, Old Norse -inn
Origin of -en8
Middle English; Old English -an, case ending of n-stem nouns, as in naman oblique singular, and nominative and accusative plural of nama “name”; akin to n-stem forms in other Indo-European languages, as in Latin nōmen, nōmin- “name”
Origin of -en9
Middle English, Old English, from neuter of -en 2
Vocabulary lists containing en
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:
The process is known as transshipping, which refers to the practice of transferring cargo through another country while en route to a final destination.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The smaller plane then flew to the U.K., where Trump stopped en route to Washington, under a nondescript call sign.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
The concrete-clad primary suite features an en suite bathroom with an oversized penny-tile tub and circular windows.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Under a longstanding arrangement with Morocco, Spain can immediately expel people who enter its exclaves illegally, a practice known in Spanish as devoluciones en caliente, or “hot returns.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
She took a deep breath and began, en français: “Good day, mister! I here arrive in look of job. If you please!”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Erin Marshall, a US interior designer, actually specialises in EN renovations.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 21, 2019
At EN, a Japanese brasserie in the West Village, a waiter presented him with a small wooden box containing a Shout stain-remover towelette, a white cloth napkin, and a white paper napkin.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 10, 2018
In June, French conglomerate Bouygues SA EN 0.32 % rebuffed Mr. Drahi’s offer to buy its telecom unit for €10 billion, or about $11 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2015
EN ROUTE Mr. Green uploads photographs to his website, imjustwalking.com.
From New York Times ● Mar. 24, 2012
EN AND ACRES, the new comedy at WALLACK'S, is one of the best of TAYLOR'S pieces, and a decided improvement upon the carpenter work of BOUCICAULT.
From Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 05, April 30, 1870 by Various
We en- courage states to continue to fight this public men- ace and pledge our commitment to children’s safety and well-being.
From Time ● Jul. 18, 2016
He en- tered the house shouting, “Hey, where are you?”
From MSNBC ● Oct. 22, 2014
In en- gineering innovations Westinghouse has kept in stride with Otis by matching Otis' double-decker elevators in Manhattan's Cities Service Building with a system for running two elevators in the same shaft.
From Time Magazine Archive
The en- counters were so catastrophic that bits of the earth, as well as chunks of the intruder, were hurled into space and then fell back.
From Time Magazine Archive
The forms en- and em- are of French origin.
From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton
All three have names that end in -en, which may or may not be relevant.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 13, 2021
I. Those ending in -en; as soften, whiten, strengthen, &c.
From A Handbook of the English Language by R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham
According to the effect.—The syllable -en in the word whiten changes the noun white into a verb.
From A Handbook of the English Language by R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham
But the terminations which are used in the most confused manner of all are -en, -yne, and -ing or -yng.
From Lancelot of the Laik A Scottish Metrical Romance by Walter W. (Walter William) Skeat
In Anglo-Saxon it always ended in -en, as sungen, funden, bunden.
From A Handbook of the English Language by R. G. (Robert Gordon) Latham
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.
