enter

[ en-ter ]

/ ˈɛn tər /

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See synonyms for: enter / entered / entering / enterable on Thesaurus.com

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.

OPPOSITES FOR enter

1 leave.

7 remove.

See antonyms for enter on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of enter

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

OTHER WORDS FROM enter

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

un·en·tered, adjectivewell-entered, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH enter

enter , inter

Words nearby enter

Entebbe, entelechy, entellus, entente, entente cordiale, enter, enteral, enteralgia, enterectomy, entered hound, enteric

Other definitions for enter (2 of 2)

enter-

variant of entero- before a vowel: enteritis.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use enter in a sentence

I thought back to that this week, when the national anthem again entered the news, this time because Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, ordered his team’s home games this season to start without playing the anthem.
Mark Cuban had the right idea: It’s time to rethink how we use the national anthem|John Feinstein|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Two teams will fall to the second division, and a third will enter a playoff.
Matthew Hoppe was a little-known American soccer player — until he reached the Bundesliga|Steven Goff|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Jakub Vrana, who entered the covid-19 protocols Saturday, was removed from the list Tuesday.
For first time in three weeks, Capitals could be at full strength Sunday|Samantha Pell|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
No player had entered the NBA out of high school in more than two decades.
An NBA experiment lets draft prospects skip college, stay home and get paid to play|Michael Lee|February 11, 2021|Washington Post

He took the mic from David to demand the team re-sign him as the nine-year veteran enters unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate Super Bowl LV victory in boat parade|Cindy Boren, Glynn A. Hill|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
For now, the Egyptian government has issued a statement saying that Clooney is free to enter Egypt “whenever she wants.”
Amal Clooney vs. Egypt’s Courts|Christopher Dickey|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Even then, most of us doubted he would show up and actually sign the papers allowing him to enter the 1992 New Hampshire primary.
President Cuomo Would’ve Been a Lion|Jonathan Alter|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The moment where they enter the spirit portal symbolizes their evolution from being friends to being a couple.
Yep, Korra and Asami Went in the Spirit Portal and Probably Kissed|Melissa Leon|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many more German divisions would enter the fray over the next few days.
Hitler’s Hail Mary|James A. Warren|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Roughly one out of every 33 women who enter the federal prison system is pregnant.
The GOP’s Hidden Ban on Prison Abortions|Harold Pollack|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One evening, while he was thus engaged, he observed de Patinos and Duke Wharton enter together.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
He will keep the sayings of renowned men, and will enter withal into the subtilties of parables.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
He was positive he had seen some one enter the room, go to the chair, and take the money from his pockets.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
A little shepherdess is guiding them, as anxious to get them in as they are to enter, for this means the end of her day's work.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
But first he held a whispered colloquy with the Princess, whom he entreated, or persuaded, to re-enter her gorgeous vehicle.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for enter

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 of enter

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

enter

OPPOSITES FOR enter

Origin of enter

OTHER WORDS FROM enter

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH enter

Words nearby enter

Other definitions for enter (2 of 2)

Words related to enter

How to use enter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for enter

Derived forms of enter

Word Origin for enter