entail

American  

[en-teyl, en-teyl, en-teyl] / ɛnˈteɪl, ɛnˈteɪl, ˈɛn teɪl /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause or involve by necessity or as a consequence.

   a loss entailing no regret.

2. to impose as a burden.

   Success entails hard work.

3. Law. to limit the passage of (real estate) to a specified line of heirs, so that it cannot be transferred or bequeathed to anyone else.

4. Law. to cause (anything) to descend to a fixed series of possessors.

---

noun

1. the act of entailing.

2. Law. the state of being entailed.

3. any predetermined order of succession, as to an office.

4. Law. something that is entailed, as an estate.

5. Law. the rule of descent settled for an estate.

entail British  

/ ɪnˈteɪl /

verb

1. to bring about or impose by necessity; have as a necessary consequence

   this task entails careful thought

2. property law to restrict (the descent of an estate) to a designated line of heirs

3. logic to have as a necessary consequence

---

noun

1. property law

   1. the restriction imposed by entailing an estate

   2. an estate that has been entailed

Other Word Forms

• entailer noun
• entailment noun
• preentail verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of entail

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English entailen (verb), entail (noun), equivalent to en- ¹ + tail ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

These partnerships usually entail taking businesses private or spinning off noncore assets.

From The Wall Street Journal

That scenario would entail 2 to 4 inches of rain falling along the coast and in the valleys, with 4 to 8 inches in the mountains and foothills.

From Los Angeles Times

Removing Booker from the lineup entailed shifting forward Tyler Bilodeau back to center, a position he’s played with increasing frequency over the last week.

From Los Angeles Times

Péchier now has 10 days to lodge an appeal, which would entail a second trial within a year.

From BBC

“I don’t know if this is a hobby, but I’m the head of the homeowners association in our neighborhood,” she said—before hinting at her disdain of what that role entails.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• bring about
• call for
• encompass
• involve
• lead to
• necessitate
• require