enlist
Americanverb (used without object)
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enlists,
present (3rd person singular)
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enlisted,
past participle, past
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enlisting
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
enlists,
present (3rd person singular)
-
enlisted,
past participle, past
-
enlisting
present participle
-
to engage for military service.
to enlist men for the army.
-
to secure (a person, services, etc.) for some cause, enterprise, etc..
They enlisted us to serve as ushers at the meeting.
verb
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to enter or persuade to enter into an engagement to serve in the armed forces
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(tr) to engage or secure (a person, his services, or his support) for a venture, cause, etc
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to enter into or join an enterprise, cause, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enlistsimple
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enlistssimple
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have enlistedperfect
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has enlistedperfect
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am enlistingprogressive
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are enlistingprogressive
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is enlistingprogressive
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have been enlistingperfect progressive
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has been enlistingperfect progressive
Past
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enlistedsimple
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had enlistedperfect
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was enlistingprogressive
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were enlistingprogressive
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had been enlistingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enlist
Explanation
To enlist is to voluntarily join the military. You may have seen television commercials or posters encouraging people to enlist. There are various ways people end up in the military. Sometimes there's a draft, which selects people whether they want to go or not. Sometimes people enlist, which means they sign up on their own. Enlisting also refers to recruiting or hiring people for some purpose or organization. If you are moving, you might try to enlist your friends to help — good luck with that.
Vocabulary lists containing enlist
Veterans Day Vocabulary
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Memorial Day: Words of Respect and Remembrance
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Code Talker
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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:
He was terrified of heights and was so small that a recruiting sergeant insisted he enlist as a communications specialist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
To make up for this, Gray’s team tried to enlist several leading academic historians to instill more of an overarching narrative structure.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
"As is well known, our people enlist voluntarily and sign a contract," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Sometimes the founders fly in to host, while other times they enlist what they called a small “boots on the ground” team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Also he gave each of his guests a gallant steed, to enable them to reach quickly the Etruscan Army and enlist their help.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
This series sequel enlists Hunter Schafer and Michelle Yeoh to play rough in this dystopia, with Schafer as Cora, a human Blade Runner who teams with Yeoh’s Olwen, a fading replicant.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Mohsen enlists a cleric at the local mosque to help fund-raise, but the results are meager.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
To help explain how Lincoln emerged to win the Republican nomination and the presidency, Mr. Earle enlists a journalist, Murat Halstead, as an eyewitness guide.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
When Perla rejects Ulises’ practiced advances, he enlists the aid of her put-upon niece, who longs to escape both her demanding aunt and the decaying mansion that entraps her.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
When he enlists the audience’s help, he actually enlists the audience’s help.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Jo enlisted the help of not only local crafters for the event, but local businesses who gifted attendees treats for the late night.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
The casting introduces its own familiar comic premise: the polished gay man enlisted to introduce his less domestically accomplished counterparts to the finer points of everyday living.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
After his escape from the Nazis, Ortiz made his way to the U.S., enlisted in the Marine Corps and was immediately singled out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart has enlisted Lady Gaga for a recruitment campaign, convincing the pop icon to trade vocal registers for cash registers in an effort to plug staffing shortages at thousands of outlets.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
“It’s true, sir,” said one of the enlisted men.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Add another pot or two, increase the quantities and consider enlisting contributions from friends.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
Recruiters have also targeted foreigners living in Russia without legal status, promising them residency or a passport in exchange for enlisting, Amnesty said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Proposals such as enlisting Syria, vetting Lebanese troops or relying on Israel alone face steep hurdles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Conte organized the Friends of Christopher Columbus Foundation, enlisting local Italian-American groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Initial panic gave way to calm decision and, enlisting the aid of three attendants, a careful search was begun.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
