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Synonyms

recruitment

American  
[ri-kroot-muhnt] / rɪˈkrut mənt /

noun

  1. the act or process of recruiting.

  2. Physiology. an increase in the response to a stimulus owing to the activation of additional receptors, resulting from the continuous application of the stimulus with the same intensity.


Etymology

Origin of recruitment

First recorded in 1815–25; recruit + -ment

Explanation

Recruitment is the act of getting people to sign up for something, especially the military. If you've ever been recruited for something, then someone convinced you to do or join something. The person who convinced you was in the business of recruitment. Recruitment refers to everything people do to get others to join things, like the military. Colleges, sports teams, and businesses are all involved in recruitment when they are trying to attract new students, athletes, and employees. When recruitment is successful, people sign up and join.

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Vocabulary lists containing recruitment

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.

We have seen internal police documents in which guards describe how the recruitment of so-called mercenaries was ordered and overseen by senior officers.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Moscow has also pushed a recruitment drive across the African continent, signing up fighters from Egypt to South Africa and from Ghana to Zimbabwe.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Healthdaq is used by healthcare services to manage recruitment, meaning it holds detailed personal, identity and background-check data on staff.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Even after efforts under Bass to streamline hiring and boost recruitment, some officials are concerned there won’t be enough new cops to replace those projected to leave or retire in the coming years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

At least one guy, usually more, filmed the games for the purpose of recruitment.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben