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

But they failed to ask why only 20 airports—less than 5% of U.S. commercial service airports—have chosen to enroll in the SPP over the past two decades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 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

Ensuring borrowers’ records are accurate can be particularly important since a correct repayment history is necessary to enroll in certain repayment plans and access many forgiveness programs, Gittleman said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

Here we all thought El Jefe had relented against our family and let Minerva enroll in law school.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

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