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:
Barrett and Justice Sam Alito pressed Colorado’s counsel, Helen Norton, on how often parish preschools refuse to enroll children with same-sex parents.
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026
Lawmakers said eligible schools must provide children “an equal opportunity to enroll regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, lack of housing, income level or disability.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
CMS officials said centers paid seniors kickbacks up to $1,000 a month to enroll in their programs and then billed Medicaid for services not provided.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
At the same time, the law changed when children became eligible for state-funded preschool, allowing more to enroll at age 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
The social workers that she confided in invariably suggested that she enroll Bobby in a small private school where he could receive closer attention and where he could develop at his own pace.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The trial enrolled 5,772 patients from the Canyons and Desert regions of Intermountain Health Care in the United States.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
SDU dean Jakob Grauslund said the trial had never started, no babies had been enrolled and no vaccinations administered as part of the research.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The share of beneficiaries who did not compare coverage options was greater among people in traditional Medicare than among those enrolled in Medicare Advantage, the private-plan alternative.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
Next year, many adults under 60 enrolled in the program will also face a $30 monthly premium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Izzy and our other best friend, Paige, had also enrolled at UCSC, so I took some comfort in knowing I wouldn't be surrounded by strangers.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
After enrolling on the NHS Wales SilverCloud Space from Anxiety programme, he worked through a 12-week course, learning "how to manage my thoughts and let things go".
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
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
Mamdani said Monday that the rule will not only discourage immigrant families but also U.S. citizens with ties to immigrant families from enrolling in programs they are eligible for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Not until Major Major was enrolling in kindergarten was the discovery of his real name made, and then the effects were disastrous.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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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.
