enroll
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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to enlist (oneself ).
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to put in a record; record.
to enroll the minutes of a meeting; to enroll the great events of history.
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to roll or wrap up.
fruit enrolled in tissue paper.
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Nautical. to document (a U.S. vessel) by issuing a certificate of enrollment.
verb (used without object)
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing enroll
The Circuit
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Education and Academics, List 1
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"An Early Start on College"
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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.
See Examples For:
To enroll in these programs, you must have an address in the area the plan serves.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Although taking part meant traveling to London for treatment, he chose to enroll and was referred to UCLH.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
Accessing public funds as a microschool in Arkansas is easier than it is for other types of private schools, even though there is no limit to the number of students one can enroll.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
“To help students enroll, persist, and graduate, we must provide the stability and support they need.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
One daughter married an army general who for a time governed Formosa, and it was this uncle- general who encouraged Papa to enroll in a military school.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
Of the 1,091 people enrolled in the cohort, 866 completed additional cognitive testing after age 70.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
ETS, a nonprofit assessment organization, helps manage and provide testing-related services for students enrolled in California public schools, including the required Smarter Balanced tests administered in spring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Some two million students -- most aged 15 to 18 -- are enrolled at around 3,700 high schools in France.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Around 3.2 million people are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans that are closing or withdrawing from their markets, according to Chapter, a national Medicare brokerage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Born the grandson of a preacher in Hickory, North Carolina, in 1928, Douglas Moore decided to follow his grandfather into the Methodist ministry and in 1951 he enrolled as a divinity student at Boston University.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Ionis Pharmaceuticals conducted the international study across 13 clinical sites, enrolling 54 patients to evaluate the treatment's safety and effectiveness.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
For the record, we are not enrolling students and have no intention of operating our new schools.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
So the Prides chose that one, moving to Silver Spring, Md., and enrolling their son in top educational programs for deaf children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
The “10 Things I Hate About You” star was raised in Manhattan and began performing at a young age before enrolling at Columbia University—even as her Hollywood career was taking off.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Joinville smiled slyly at William and then said to Sorbonne, “Maybe you would consider enrolling him in your college?”
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
