Synonyms

enlist

American

[en-list] / ɛnˈlɪst /

verb (used without object)

to enroll, usually voluntarily, for military service.

He decided to enlist in the Marines.
to enter into some cause, enterprise, etc.

Synonyms:

join, volunteer

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.

enlist British

/ ɪnˈlɪst /

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

enlister noun
enlistment noun
preenlist verb
unenlisted adjective

Etymology

Origin of enlist

First recorded in 1690–1700; en- ¹ + list ¹

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

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

The embassy added that while it does not recruit foreigners, Russian law allows foreign nationals who are legally in Russia to voluntarily enlist in their armed forces.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 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