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Synonyms

enter-

1 American  
  1. variant of entero- before a vowel.

    enteritis.


enter 2 American  
[en-ter] / ˈɛn tər /

verb (used without object)

  1. to come or go in.

    Knock before you enter.

    Antonyms:
    leave
  2. to be admitted into a school, competition, etc..

    Some contestants enter as late as a day before the race.

  3. to make a beginning (often followed by on orupon ).

    We have entered upon a new phase in history.

  4. Theater. to come upon the stage (used in stage directions as the 3rd person imperative singular or plural).

    Enter Othello, and Iago at a distance.


verb (used with object)

  1. to come or go into.

    He just entered the building. The thought never entered my mind.

  2. to penetrate or pierce.

    The bullet entered the flesh.

  3. to put in or insert.

    Antonyms:
    remove
  4. to become a member of; join.

    to enter a club.

  5. to cause to be admitted, as into a school, competition, etc..

    to enter a horse in a race.

  6. to make a beginning of or in, or begin upon; engage or become involved in.

    He entered the medical profession.

  7. to share in; have an intuitive understanding of.

    In order to appreciate the novel, one must be able to enter the spirit of the work.

  8. to make a record of; record or register.

    to enter a new word in a dictionary.

  9. Law.

    1. to make a formal record of (a fact).

    2. to occupy or to take possession of (lands); make an entrance, entry, ingress in, under claim of a right to possession.

    3. to file an application for (public lands).

  10. Computers. to put (a document, program, data, etc.) into a computer system.

    Enter your new document into the word-processing system.

  11. to put forward, submit, or register formally.

    to enter an objection to a proposed action; to enter a bid for a contract.

  12. to report (a ship, cargo, etc.) at the custom house.

verb phrase

  1. enter into

    1. to participate in; engage in.

    2. to investigate; consider.

      We will enter into the question of inherited characteristics at a future time.

    3. to sympathize with; share in.

    4. to form a constituent part or ingredient of.

      There is another factor that enters into the situation.

    5. to go into a particular state.

      to enter into a state of suspended animation.

enter British  
/ ˈɛntə /

verb

  1. to come or go into (a place, house, etc)

  2. to penetrate or pierce

  3. (tr) to introduce or insert

  4. to join (a party, organization, etc)

  5. to become involved or take part (in)

    to enter a game

    to enter into an agreement

  6. (tr) to record (an item such as a commercial transaction) in a journal, account, register, etc

  7. (tr) to record (a name, etc) on a list

  8. (tr) to present or submit

    to enter a proposal

  9. (intr) theatre to come on stage: used as a stage direction

    enter Juliet

  10. to begin; start

    to enter upon a new career

  11. to come into possession (of)

  12. (tr) to place (evidence, a plea, etc) before a court of law or upon the court records

  13. (tr) law

    1. to go onto and occupy (land)

    2. to file a claim to (public lands)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does enter- mean? Enter- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “intestine.” The intestines are the long tract of the digestive system that runs from the stomach to the anus. Enter- is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy and pathology.Enter- comes from the Greek énteron, meaning “intestine.” A scientific term for the digestive tract (alimentary canal) is enteron, which comes from this same Greek root. The word dysentery, literally meaning “bad bowels,” also derives from the Greek énteron.Enter- is a variant of entero-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use entero- article.

Other Word Forms

  • enterable adjective
  • enterer noun
  • preenter verb (used without object)
  • unenterable adjective
  • unentered adjective
  • well-entered adjective

Etymology

Origin of enter

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English entren, from Old French entrer, from Latin intrāre “to enter,” from intrā intra- ( def. )

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.

According to the Los Angeles Airport Police, Logan entered the grounds of the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

Jump also entered into a “gentlemen’s agreement” with Terraform, in which the trading firm agreed to help maintain TerraUSD’s peg to the dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal

Glasner is about to enter the final six months of his contract and Palace's hierarchy are becoming increasingly worried about losing a manager whose stock has shot up in recent months.

From BBC

Bangladeshi authorities later jailed the family for entering the country unlawfully.

From BBC

He enters Thursday night’s showdown with Seattle, a game with first place in the NFC on the line, second in the league in receiving yards.

From The Wall Street Journal