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.

Several students in the current senior class have already enlisted, and many return to recruit others.

From The Wall Street Journal

The junta pivoted towards Russia, enlisting the help of the Wagner mercenary group, which was at the time linked to the Kremlin.

From BBC

In 1944, he enlisted in the Navy and served for two years as an aircraft mechanic.

From The Wall Street Journal

One solution is to enlist the services of a financial adviser who is old enough to have lived through bear markets.

From MarketWatch

The court heard Gill mainly enlisted MEPs from the UK but also some from Germany and France.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023