Standard Lemma guide

enlist

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɛnˈlɪst/
  • /ɪnˈlɪst/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪst
  • CMU ARPABET: EH2 N L IH1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who is enlisted, usually in a military service.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To enter on a list; to enroll; to register.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To voluntarily join a cause or organization, especially military service.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The army wants potential soldiers to enlist.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To recruit the aid or membership of others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • We enlisted fifty new members.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To secure; to obtain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • They enlisted the government's support.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

join the military

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sign up

Narrower terms: conscript

7

verb

Meaning 7

engage somebody to enter the army

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: draft, muster in

Antonyms: discharge

Broader terms: enroll, inscribe, enter, enrol, recruit

Narrower terms: recruit, levy, raise

8

verb

Meaning 8

hire for work or assistance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • engage aid, help, services, or support

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: engage

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: procure, secure

Narrower terms: recruit

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Old French en-bor. Middle English en- English en- English list English enlist From en- + list.

Across languages

Translations

105 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: yazdırmaq — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Catalan: allistar — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Czech: zapisovat — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Czech: zapsat — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Finnish: listautua — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Finnish: liittyä — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Finnish: ilmoittautua — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Finnish: rekisteröityä — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • French: s'inscrire — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • German: eintragen — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Ancient Greek: ἐγγράφω (engráphō) — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Latin: conscrībō — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Portuguese: alistar — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Spanish: alistar — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Spanish: enlistar — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Swedish: värva — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Swedish: inskriva — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Ottoman Turkish: یازمق (yazmak) — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Vietnamese: đăng ký — to enter on a list, enroll, register
  • Belarusian: запі́свацца (zapísvacca) — to join a cause or organization
  • Belarusian: запіса́цца (zapisácca) — to join a cause or organization
  • Bulgarian: постъ́пвам (postǎ́pvam) — to join a cause or organization
  • Bulgarian: постъ́пя (postǎ́pja) — to join a cause or organization
  • Bulgarian: запи́свам се (zapísvam se) — to join a cause or organization
  • Bulgarian: запи́ша се (zapíša se) — to join a cause or organization
  • Catalan: allistar — to join a cause or organization
  • Chinese Mandarin: 入伍 (rùwǔ) — to join a cause or organization
  • Chinese Mandarin: 入隊 /入队 (rùduì) — to join a cause or organization
  • Czech: rukovat — to join a cause or organization
  • Czech: narukovat — to join a cause or organization
  • Esperanto: varbiĝi — to join a cause or organization
  • Finnish: liittyä — to join a cause or organization
  • Finnish: värväytyä — to join a cause or organization
  • French: rejoindre — to join a cause or organization
  • German: eintreten — to join a cause or organization
  • Japanese: 入隊する (nyūtai suru) — to join a cause or organization
  • Korean: 입대하다 (ipdaehada) — to join a cause or organization
  • Polish: zapisywać się — to join a cause or organization
  • Polish: zapisać się — to join a cause or organization
  • Portuguese: alistar — to join a cause or organization
  • Romanian: înrola — to join a cause or organization
  • Russian: зачисля́ться (začisljátʹsja) — to join a cause or organization
  • Russian: зачи́слиться (začíslitʹsja) — to join a cause or organization
  • Russian: запи́сываться (zapísyvatʹsja) — to join a cause or organization
  • Russian: записа́ться (zapisátʹsja) — to join a cause or organization
  • Russian: поступа́ть (postupátʹ) — to join a cause or organization
  • Russian: поступи́ть (postupítʹ) — to join a cause or organization
  • Russian: вступа́ть (vstupátʹ) — to join a cause or organization
  • Russian: вступи́ть (vstupítʹ) — to join a cause or organization
  • Slovak: rukovať — to join a cause or organization
  • Slovak: narukovať — to join a cause or organization
  • Spanish: alistarse — to join a cause or organization
  • Spanish: sentar plaza — to join a cause or organization
  • Spanish: asentar plaza — to join a cause or organization
  • Ukrainian: запи́суватися (zapýsuvatysja) — to join a cause or organization
  • Ukrainian: записа́тися (zapysátysja) — to join a cause or organization
  • Vietnamese: đăng lính — to join a cause or organization
  • Vietnamese: đăng — to join a cause or organization
  • Vietnamese: tòng quân — to join a cause or organization
  • Belarusian: вербава́ць (vjerbavácʹ) — to recruit others
  • Belarusian: завербава́ць (zavjerbavácʹ) — to recruit others
  • Belarusian: запі́сваць (zapísvacʹ) — to recruit others
  • Belarusian: запіса́ць (zapisácʹ) — to recruit others
  • Bulgarian: вербу́вам (verbúvam) — to recruit others
  • Catalan: allistar — to recruit others
  • Catalan: reclutar — to recruit others
  • Czech: nabírat — to recruit others
  • Czech: nabrat — to recruit others
  • Finnish: värvätä — to recruit others
  • Finnish: rekrytoida — to recruit others
  • Finnish: hankkia jäseneksi — to recruit others
  • French: recruter — to recruit others
  • German: anwerben — to recruit others
  • German: rekrutieren — to recruit others
  • Ido: engajar — to recruit others
  • Polish: werbować — to recruit others
  • Polish: zwerbować — to recruit others
  • Portuguese: recrutar — to recruit others
  • Russian: вербова́ть (verbovátʹ) — to recruit others
  • Russian: завербова́ть (zaverbovátʹ) — to recruit others
  • Russian: зачисля́ть (začisljátʹ) — to recruit others
  • Russian: зачи́слить (začíslitʹ) — to recruit others
  • Russian: набира́ть (nabirátʹ) — to recruit others
  • Russian: набра́ть (nabrátʹ) — to recruit others
  • Spanish: enlistar — to recruit others
  • Swedish: värva — to recruit others
  • Swedish: rekrytera — to recruit others
  • Ottoman Turkish: یازمق (yazmak) — to recruit others
  • Ukrainian: вербува́ти (verbuváty) — to recruit others
  • Ukrainian: завербува́ти (zaverbuváty) — to recruit others
  • Ukrainian: залуча́ти (zalučáty) — to recruit others
  • Ukrainian: залучи́ти (zalučýty) — to recruit others
  • Ukrainian: запи́сувати (zapýsuvaty) — to recruit others
  • Ukrainian: записа́ти (zapysáty) — to recruit others
  • Vietnamese: tuyển quân — to recruit others
  • Vietnamese: tuyển — to recruit others
  • Czech: zajišťovat si — to secure, obtain
  • Czech: zajistit si — to secure, obtain
  • Czech: získávat — to secure, obtain
  • Czech: získat — to secure, obtain
  • Finnish: hankkia — to secure, obtain
  • Finnish: saada — to secure, obtain
  • Russian: заруча́ться (zaručátʹsja) — to secure, obtain
  • Russian: заручи́ться (zaručítʹsja) — to secure, obtain
  • Vietnamese: tranh thủ — to secure, obtain