enlist
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to engage for military service.
to enlist men for the army.
-
to secure (a person, services, etc.) for some cause, enterprise, etc..
They enlisted us to serve as ushers at the meeting.
verb
-
to enter or persuade to enter into an engagement to serve in the armed forces
-
(tr) to engage or secure (a person, his services, or his support) for a venture, cause, etc
-
to enter into or join an enterprise, cause, etc
Other Word Forms
- enlister noun
- enlistment noun
- preenlist verb
- unenlisted adjective
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Memorial Day: Words of Respect and Remembrance
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Code Talker
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Tolkan landed a scholarship to the college, but his academic career was short-lived, and he left to enlist in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
But don’t stop there: Nonprofits such as the Village to Village Network and Village Without Walls enlist volunteers to help seniors.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
We actually found a social insight on TikTok, with people commenting that we need to enlist our boyfriends in boot camp, they’re bad gift givers, so on and so forth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
"You have to enter a competition to win the coupons," she said, adding her daughter had had to enlist 10 friends for a coupon lucky draw to buy a bed.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
They were soon convinced that the wisest course was to enlist in Cluny’s horde.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
