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

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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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

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. 2022

How to use enter in a sentence

Most states have made their own exposure notification apps that walk you through the steps of turning on alerts and — should it be needed — entering in your own positive test result.
A covid-fighting tool is buried in your phone. Turn it on.|Geoffrey Fowler|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
The state entered a third phase of Northam’s pandemic plan in July, when cases were dropping.
Virginia’s coronavirus numbers are rising. Here’s what you need to know.|Antonio Olivo|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
He worked with such artists as Rain, the first Korean to win an MTV award, and Wonder Girls, the first Korean group to enter the Billboard 100 chart.
For fans of BTS, the only thing better than the group is each other|Marian Liu|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
In 2017, tickets were required to enter the Capitol grounds to view the swearing-in ceremony, with parts of the Mall open for those without tickets.
What will Inauguration Day look like amid a pandemic?|Emily Davies, Justin Jouvenal|November 19, 2020|Washington Post

During busy hours, entering the lower-level history galleries can require waiting in a long, socially distanced line.
You have until Nov. 22 to visit these six Smithsonian museums. Here’s what to expect.|Kelsey Ables|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
He was a leading presidential contender in 1988 and 1992, but never formally entered the race.
Mario Cuomo, a Frustrating Hero to Democrats, Is Dead at 82|Eleanor Clift|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Former Gov. Jimmy Carter entered the 1976 Presidential campaign as a more or less total unknown.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The families announced along with it that they had entered a “phase of silence” surrounding the details of the new deal.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Spaniard by birth, Victor Serna left home shy of his 14th birthday and entered the monastery to become a Marist brother.
Obama’s One Hand Clap With Castro|Doug McIntyre|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ten thousand of the best troops in Mexico entered Texas and were shortly to be followed by ten thousand more.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Ever since his majority Lord Hetton had annually entered a colt in the great race.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
This road ran north and south, and nearly in front of where he lay another road entered it, coming in from the west.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
None of the other scholars were asked, and when I entered the room there were only three persons in it beside Liszt.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Osmond Orgreave entered the room, quizzical, and at once began to tease Clayhanger about the infrequency of his visits.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett

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

Medical definitions for enter

enter-

pref.

Variant ofentero-

enter

OPPOSITES FOR enter

Origin of enter

OTHER WORDS FROM enter

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH 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

Medical definitions for enter