enumerate
Americanverb (used with object)
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enumerates,
present (3rd person singular)
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enumerated,
past participle, past
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enumerating
present participle
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to mention separately as if in counting; name one by one; specify, as in a list.
Let me enumerate the many flaws in your hypothesis.
- Synonyms:
- recount, recapitulate
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to ascertain the number of; count.
verb
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(tr) to mention separately or in order; name one by one; list
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(tr) to determine the number of; count
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to compile or enter (a name or names) in a voting list for an area
Usage
What does enumerate mean? Enumerate means to name or list things one by one. Enumerate is typically used as a more formal alternative to the verb list. It emphasizes the fact that things are being specifically identified and listed one at a time. Less commonly, enumerate simply means to count. In Canada, it has a much more specific use: it means to enter names in an area’s voting list. Example: I welcome constructive criticism, but you don’t have to enumerate every single one of my mistakes in front of the rest of the people at the meeting.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enumerationnoun
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enumeratornoun
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preenumerateverb (used with object)
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reenumerateverb (used with object)
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enumerableadjective
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enumerativeadjective
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nonenumerativeadjective
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unenumerativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enumeratesimple
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enumeratessimple
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have enumeratedperfect
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has enumeratedperfect
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am enumeratingprogressive
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are enumeratingprogressive
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is enumeratingprogressive
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have been enumeratingperfect progressive
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has been enumeratingperfect progressive
Past
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enumeratedsimple
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had enumeratedperfect
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was enumeratingprogressive
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were enumeratingprogressive
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had been enumeratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enumerate
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin ēnumerātus “counted out,” past participle of ēnumerāre “to count out,” from ē- e- 1 ( def. ) + numer(us) number + -āre, infinitive verb suffix
Explanation
To enumerate is to list or count off one by one. Before you ask for a raise, you'd better be able to enumerate all the reasons why you deserve more money. Tally, total, add up, compute — however you put it, enumerate is basically just another way to say "count." As in, "How do I love thee? Let me enumerate the ways." This verb came about in the 1610’s as a variation on the Latin enumerates, which means “to reckon up or count over.” To quote Paul Valery, the French critic, essayist, and poet, “Science is feasible when the variables are few and can be enumerated; when their combinations are distinct and clear."
Vocabulary lists containing enumerate
Grade 9, List 4
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Brave New World
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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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.
See Examples For:
Last year, the government announced a census to enumerate the country’s castes officially.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
"Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues."
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
The Times requested the communications last month, and the report — which was meant to pinpoint failures and enumerate lessons learned, to avoid repeating mistakes — was issued in early October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025
“That process should look at their current risk tolerance and help enumerate their goals, both short and long term, which will help you and the adviser determine the appropriate mix of investments.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 26, 2025
They were fiercely opposed to this particular settlement, in which they had to enumerate their crimes before receiving indemnity.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Mr. Elwes, a mathematical logician and professor at the University of Leeds, enumerates a multitude of such anecdotes—delightful, insightful, informative—to illustrate the bigger picture in “Huge Numbers.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
A July 25 New York Times article enumerates these details.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2025
“The hungry throng” that Lee-Mäder enumerates includes at least 40 insect species that “feed often or exclusively on North American milkweeds in the summer,” he writes.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2023
The viewer never assumes for a moment that any of this is in her head, even as the narration enumerates the psychic effects of long-term sleep deprivation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
One page after Tanaina Plantlore enumerates the wild potato, it describes a closely related species, wild sweet pea, Hedysarum mackenzii.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Several of these factors were enumerated this week by Arun Sundaram, senior vice president for investment strategy at CFRA.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., enumerated some of the Democrats’ demands in the Senate earlier this week.
From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2026
Former federal prosecutor Jim Trusty enumerated to me in a recent podcast the more sensitive material that may be to come.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
“The Commission has not, to date, made a determination regarding whether any such contracts involve an activity enumerated or prohibited.”
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025
She enumerated for Gladys, who had been working for us only a month, all the treasures el doctor had brought his girls.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Throughout its episodes lurk excerpts of dialogue enumerating frustration about the state of the world that could be mistaken for modern complaints.
From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2025
She quickly proved her worth to the family brand, sweetly selling her father-in-law’s every whim and enumerating the evil forces bent on taking him down.
From Slate ● Jan. 20, 2025
Then he did a spiel about proving naysayers wrong that climaxed with his enumerating how many People’s Choice Awards he’s won.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2024
At the same time, “Some people are concerned that enumerating caste will solidify identities,” Jodhka says.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 22, 2024
He answered their concerns one by one, enumerating their rights and explaining how to wring justice out of various government agencies.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
