enter

¹ 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.

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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- ² American  

1. variant of entero- before a vowel.

   enteritis.

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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)

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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. )

Explanation

To enter is to go inside or into a place. When you enter your house after school, you might pet your cat and take off your shoes. You might enter the kitchen to see what's for dinner, or enter the library to look for a book to read. In both cases, you go from one place into another, through a doorway. If you're an actor, the word enter takes on a different meaning: to appear on the stage during a play. The stage directions might read, "Enter the King, stage left." Countries also enter wars, and people enter contests — they register or become involved.

Example Sentences

Three or four other parties look set to cross the 4% threshold and enter Parliament.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Typically, police use tips or leads to find suspects, then seek a search warrant from a judge to enter a house or other private area to seize the evidence that can prove a crime.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

Once rinsed down the drain, these fibers can enter wastewater systems.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

Oxford Economics’ Michael Pearce believes the U.S. economy will not enter stagflation despite short-term pain from the Iran conflict.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

To get to the track at the college, we enter campus a different way than I do when I’m heading for the nature trail.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• arrive
• come in
• get in
• go in
• infiltrate
• introduce
• invade
• penetrate