enumerate

American  

[ih-noo-muh-reyt, ih-nyoo-] / ɪˈnu məˌreɪt, ɪˈnyu- /

verb (used with object)

enumerated, enumerating

1. 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

2. to ascertain the number of; count.

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enumerate British  

/ ɪˈnjuːməˌreɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to mention separately or in order; name one by one; list

2. (tr) to determine the number of; count

3. to compile or enter (a name or names) in a voting list for an area

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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

• enumerable adjective
• enumeration noun
• enumerative adjective
• enumerator noun
• nonenumerative adjective
• preenumerate verb (used with object)
• reenumerate verb (used with object)
• unenumerative adjective

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."

Example Sentences

Cheerful illustrations accompanied by rhyming text enumerate little acts of love over the course of a day, from early-morning wake-ups to indulging requests for one more bedtime lullaby.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

“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

The King County Regional Homelessness Authority set out to fix that in 2022, switching from physically counting tents to a statistical sampling method that could enumerate people outside even if they were hidden.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 2024

To workers and their families, suffering has far-reaching consequences that are hard to enumerate.

From Salon • Sep. 6, 2023

Pythagoras did not simply enumerate examples of this theorem; he developed a method of mathematical deduction to prove the thing generally.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• calculate
• itemize
• recite
• specify
• spell out
• take account of