enter

[ en-ter ]

/ ˈɛn tər /

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verb (used without object)

to come or go in: Knock before you enter.

to be admitted into a school, competition, etc.: Some contestants enter as late as a day before the race.

to make a beginning (often followed by on or upon): We have entered upon a new phase in history.

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)

to come or go into: He just entered the building. The thought never entered my mind.

to penetrate or pierce: The bullet entered the flesh.

to put in or insert.

to become a member of; join: to enter a club.

to cause to be admitted, as into a school, competition, etc.: to enter a horse in a race.

to make a beginning of or in, or begin upon; engage or become involved in: He entered the medical profession.

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.

to make a record of; record or register: to enter a new word in a dictionary.

Law.

to make a formal record of (a fact).
to occupy or to take possession of (lands); make an entrance, entry, ingress in, under claim of a right to possession.
to file an application for (public lands).

Computers. to put (a document, program, data, etc.) into a computer system: Enter your new document into the word-processing system.

to put forward, submit, or register formally: to enter an objection to a proposed action; to enter a bid for a contract.

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

Verb Phrases

enter into,

to participate in; engage in.
to investigate; consider: We will enter into the question of inherited characteristics at a future time.
to sympathize with; share in.
to form a constituent part or ingredient of: There is another factor that enters into the situation.
to go into a particular state: to enter into a state of suspended animation.

RELATED WORDS

join, participate

Nearby words

entebbe, entelechy, entellus, entente, entente cordiale, enter, enter into, enter on, enter one's mind, enter the lists, enter-

Origin of enter

1200–50; Middle English entren < Old French entrer < Latin intrāre to enter, derivative of intrā within

ANTONYMS FOR enter

1 leave.

7 remove.

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Related forms

en·ter·a·ble, adjectiveen·ter·er, nounpre·en·ter, verb (used without object)un·en·ter·a·ble, adjective

un·en·tered, adjectivewell-en·tered, adjective

Can be confused

enter inter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for enter into (1 of 2)

enter into

verb (intr, preposition)

to be considered as a necessary part of (one's plans, calculations, etc)

to be in sympathy withhe enters into his patient's problems

British Dictionary definitions for enter into (2 of 2)

enter

/ (ˈɛntə) /

verb

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

to penetrate or pierce

(tr) to introduce or insert

to join (a party, organization, etc)

(when intr, foll by into) to become involved or take part (in)to enter a game; to enter into an agreement

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

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

(tr) to present or submitto enter a proposal

(intr) theatre to come on stage: used as a stage directionenter Juliet

(when intr, often foll by into, on, or upon) to begin; startto enter upon a new career

(intr often foll by upon) to come into possession (of)

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

(tr) law

to go onto and occupy (land)
mainly US to file a claim to (public lands)

Derived Forms

enterable, adjectiveenterer, noun

Word Origin for enter

C13: from Old French entrer, from Latin intrāre to go in, from intrā within

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

Idioms and Phrases with enter into

enter into

Participate in, take an active role or interest in, as in We had to think twice before we entered into these negotiations. [Late 1700s]

Become party to (a contract), bind oneself, as in The nations entered into a new agreement. [First half of 1500s]

Become a component, form a part of, as in Finances soon entered into the discussion. [Early 1700s]

Also, go into. Consider, investigate, as in The report entered into the effect of high interest rates, or Let's not go into that. [Mid-1500s]

enter

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

Verb Phrases

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of enter

ANTONYMS FOR enter

Related forms

Can be confused

British Dictionary definitions for enter into (1 of 2)

enter into

verb (intr, preposition)

British Dictionary definitions for enter into (2 of 2)

enter

verb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for enter

Idioms and Phrases with enter into

enter into