enumerate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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enumerativeadjective
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unenumerativeadjective
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enumeratornoun
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preenumerateverb (used with object)
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enumerationnoun
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reenumerateverb (used with object)
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nonenumerativeadjective
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enumerableadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have enumeratedperfect
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has enumeratedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been enumeratingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been enumeratingperfect progressive
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is enumeratingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am enumeratingprogressive 1st person singular
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are enumeratingprogressive
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enumeratingparticiple
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enumeratessingular 3rd person
Past
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had enumeratedperfect
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were enumeratingprogressive plural
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had been enumeratingperfect progressive
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enumeratedsimple
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was enumeratingprogressive singular
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enumeratedparticiple
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.
"Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues."
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
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
He also posted an image of the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants that appeared to mock the plight of federal workers, who had been asked by Musk to enumerate their job accomplishments of the last week.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025
As Gosling recalled, “Rosalind let rip in her best pedagogical style: ‘you’re wrong for the following reasons’...which she proceeded to enumerate as she demolished their proposal.”
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
