enroll

American  

[en-rohl] / ɛnˈroʊl /

especially British, enrol

verb (used with object)

enrolled, enrolling

1. 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.

2. to enlist (oneself ).

3. to put in a record; record.

   to enroll the minutes of a meeting; to enroll the great events of history.

4. to roll or wrap up.

   fruit enrolled in tissue paper.

5. Nautical. to document (a U.S. vessel) by issuing a certificate of enrollment.

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verb (used without object)

enrolled, enrolling

1. to enroll oneself.

   He enrolled in college last week.

Other Word Forms

• enroller noun
• preenroll verb
• reenroll verb

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.

Example Sentences

School districts may enroll a child in up to one year of TK, two years of kindergarten or a two-year combination of TK and kindergarten.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

The uncertainty has led her to enroll back in university, hoping to find a different job—or even leave the province.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

The alternative for some providers is to largely enroll wealthier families to pay the full cost of care.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026

Under the Medicare Advantage program, beneficiaries can choose to opt out of traditional Medicare and enroll in private plans offered by health insurers like Aetna.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

I continued to fall behind in school, so that left only one option: I had to enroll in home school.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Related Words

• accept
• admit
• employ
• engage
• enlist
• enter
• join
• obtain
• recruit
• register