enter-
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to come or go in.
Knock before you enter.
- Antonyms:
- leave
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to be admitted into a school, competition, etc..
Some contestants enter as late as a day before the race.
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to make a beginning (often followed by on orupon ).
We have entered upon a new phase in history.
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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)
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to come or go into.
He just entered the building. The thought never entered my mind.
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to penetrate or pierce.
The bullet entered the flesh.
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to put in or insert.
- Antonyms:
- remove
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to become a member of; join.
to enter a club.
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to cause to be admitted, as into a school, competition, etc..
to enter a horse in a race.
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to make a beginning of or in, or begin upon; engage or become involved in.
He entered the medical profession.
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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.
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to make a record of; record or register.
to enter a new word in a dictionary.
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Law.
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Computers. to put (a document, program, data, etc.) into a computer system.
Enter your new document into the word-processing system.
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to put forward, submit, or register formally.
to enter an objection to a proposed action; to enter a bid for a contract.
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to report (a ship, cargo, etc.) at the custom house.
verb phrase
verb
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to come or go into (a place, house, etc)
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to penetrate or pierce
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(tr) to introduce or insert
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to join (a party, organization, etc)
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to become involved or take part (in)
to enter a game
to enter into an agreement
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(tr) to record (an item such as a commercial transaction) in a journal, account, register, etc
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(tr) to record (a name, etc) on a list
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(tr) to present or submit
to enter a proposal
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(intr) theatre to come on stage: used as a stage direction
enter Juliet
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to begin; start
to enter upon a new career
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to come into possession (of)
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(tr) to place (evidence, a plea, etc) before a court of law or upon the court records
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(tr) law
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to go onto and occupy (land)
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to file a claim to (public lands)
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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.
Let’s just say that Fielder, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound starting left tackle, has “blown up” as a college prospect as coaches recognize his growing size, strength and ability entering his senior year.
From Los Angeles Times
If agents were to enter the building without a judicial warrant, the school would go into a full lockdown, turning off lights, staying silent and moving out of sight.
From Los Angeles Times
New mothers returning to the tour are able to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period from the birth of their child.
From BBC
Bath fly-half Finn Russell, 33, enters the tournament on the back of a successful Lions tour and has the quality to push Townsend's side to new heights.
From BBC
But with the pets now dead, there’s no chance of another entering their home, no matter how much their daughter pleads.
Definitions 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.
