Standard Lemma guide

recruit

noun · verb · 15 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.

  • General-American: rĭʹkro͞ot
  • General-American: /ɹɪˈkɹut/
  • UK: /ɹɪˈkɹuːt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːt
  • CMU ARPABET: R AH0 K R UW1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: R IH0 K R UW1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 3: R IY0 K R UW1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person enlisted for service in the army; a newly enlisted soldier.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A hired worker

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • These new recruits were hired after passing the interviews

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A new adult or breeding-age member of a certain population.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, ecology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To enroll or enlist new members or potential employees on behalf of an employer, organization, sports team, the military, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • We need to recruit more admin staff to deal with the massive surge in popularity of our products

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To supply with new men, as an army; to fill up or make up by enlistment; also, to muster

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • the army was recruited for a campaign
  • they were looking to recruit two thousand troops for battle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies; to remedy a lack or deficiency in.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To become an adult or breeding-age member of a population.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To prompt a protein, leucocyte. etc. to intervene in a given region of the body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, intransitive

Examples

  • Lean cattle recruit in fresh pastures.
  • Go to the country to recruit.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

any new member or supporter (as in the armed forces)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enlistee

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: newcomer, fledgling, fledgeling, starter, neophyte, freshman, newbie, entrant

12

noun

Meaning 12

a recently enlisted soldier

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: military recruit

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enlisted man

Narrower terms: Black and Tan, raw recruit, sprog, yard bird, yardbird

13

verb

Meaning 13

cause to assemble or enlist in the military

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • raise an army
  • recruit new soldiers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: levy, raise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enlist, draft, muster in

14

verb

Meaning 14

seek to employ

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The lab director recruited an able crew of assistants

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: engage, enlist

15

verb

Meaning 15

register formally as a participant or member

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The party recruited many new members

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enroll, inscribe, enter, enrol

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: register

Narrower terms: enlist, draft, muster in, unionize, unionise, register, matriculate

History

Etymology

From French recruter (as a verb).

Across languages

Translations

205 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: попъ́лване (popǎ́lvane) — supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
  • Finnish: täydennys — supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
  • Italian: reintegro — supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
  • Italian: rimpiazzo — supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
  • Portuguese: reforço — supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
  • Russian: пополне́ние (popolnénije) — supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
  • Albanian: rekrut — newly enlisted soldier
  • Armenian: զորակոչիկ (zorakočʻik) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Belarusian: прызыўні́к (pryzywník) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Belarusian: навабра́нец (navabránjec) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Belarusian: рэ́крут (rékrut) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Bulgarian: на́борник (nábornik) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Bulgarian: новобра́нец (novobránec) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Catalan: recluta — newly enlisted soldier
  • Chinese Mandarin: 新兵 (xīnbīng) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Czech: branec — newly enlisted soldier
  • Czech: rekrut — newly enlisted soldier
  • Dutch: rekruut — newly enlisted soldier
  • Esperanto: rekruto — newly enlisted soldier
  • Estonian: noorsõdur — newly enlisted soldier
  • Finnish: alokas — newly enlisted soldier
  • French: recrue — newly enlisted soldier
  • Galician: recruta — newly enlisted soldier
  • Georgian: ახალწვეული (axalc̣veuli) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Georgian: წვევამდელი (c̣vevamdeli) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Georgian: რეკრუტი (reḳruṭi) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Georgian: გაწვეული (gac̣veuli) — newly enlisted soldier
  • German: Rekrut — newly enlisted soldier
  • Greek: νεοσύλλεκτος (neosýllektos) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Hindi: रंगरूट (raṅgrūṭ) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Hungarian: újonc — newly enlisted soldier
  • Hungarian: regruta — newly enlisted soldier
  • Icelandic: nýliði — newly enlisted soldier
  • Indonesian: rekrut — newly enlisted soldier
  • Irish: earcach — newly enlisted soldier
  • Italian: recluta — newly enlisted soldier
  • Italian: arruolato — newly enlisted soldier
  • Japanese: 新兵 (shinpei) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Japanese: 徴集兵 (chōshūhei) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Korean: 신병 (sinbyeong) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Korean: 징집병 (jingjipbyeong) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Latin: tiro — newly enlisted soldier
  • Latvian: iesācējs — newly enlisted soldier
  • Lithuanian: naujokas — newly enlisted soldier
  • Macedonian: регрут (regrut) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Māori: ika tauhou — newly enlisted soldier
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rekrutt — newly enlisted soldier
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rekrutt — newly enlisted soldier
  • Polish: rekrut — newly enlisted soldier
  • Polish: rekrutka — newly enlisted soldier
  • Portuguese: recruta — newly enlisted soldier
  • Romanian: recrut — newly enlisted soldier
  • Russian: призывни́к (prizyvník) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Russian: новобра́нец (novobránec) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Russian: ре́крут (rékrut) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Serbo-Croatian: рѐгрӯт — newly enlisted soldier
  • Serbo-Croatian: règrūt — newly enlisted soldier
  • Slovak: branec — newly enlisted soldier
  • Slovak: rekrut — newly enlisted soldier
  • Slovene: nabornik — newly enlisted soldier
  • Spanish: recluta — newly enlisted soldier
  • Swahili: kurutu — newly enlisted soldier
  • Swedish: rekryt — newly enlisted soldier
  • Tagalog: sungko — newly enlisted soldier
  • Turkish: acemi er — newly enlisted soldier
  • Ukrainian: призо́вник (pryzóvnyk) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Ukrainian: призовни́к (pryzovnýk) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Ukrainian: новобра́нець (novobránecʹ) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Ukrainian: ре́крут (rékrut) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Vietnamese: lính mới — newly enlisted soldier
  • Welsh: recríwt — newly enlisted soldier
  • Welsh: adfilwr — newly enlisted soldier
  • Yiddish: רעקרוט (rekrut) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Yiddish: פּריזיווניק (prizivnik) — newly enlisted soldier
  • Bulgarian: нае́мен рабо́тник (naémen rabótnik) — hired worker
  • Finnish: tulokas — hired worker
  • Finnish: rekryytti — hired worker
  • Indonesian: rekrut — hired worker
  • Irish: earcach — hired worker
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rekrutt — hired worker
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rekrutt — hired worker
  • Russian: наёмный рабо́чий (najómnyj rabóčij) — hired worker
  • Spanish: contratado — hired worker
  • Finnish: rekryytti — biology: new member of population
  • Belarusian: вербава́ць (vjerbavácʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Belarusian: завербава́ць (zavjerbavácʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Belarusian: найма́ць (najmácʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Belarusian: наня́ць (nanjácʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Belarusian: набіра́ць (nabirácʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Belarusian: набра́ць (nabrácʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Belarusian: гадзі́ць (hadzícʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Belarusian: згадзі́ць (zhadzícʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Bulgarian: вербу́вам (verbúvam) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Bulgarian: завербу́вам (zaverbúvam) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Bulgarian: наби́рам (nabíram) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Bulgarian: набера́ (naberá) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Catalan: reclutar — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Chinese Mandarin: 招聘 (zhāopìn) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Chinese Mandarin: 徵兵 /征兵 (zhēngbīng) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Chinese Mandarin: 招募 (zhāomù) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Czech: verbovat — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Czech: naverbovat — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Danish: hverve — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Danish: rekruttere — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Dutch: rekruteren — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Dutch: aanwerven — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Dutch: werven — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Esperanto: adeptigi — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Finnish: rekrytoida — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Finnish: palkata — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Finnish: värvätä — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • French: recruter — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • French: enrôler — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Galician: recrutar — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Georgian: მიიღებს (miiɣebs) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Georgian: მიღება (miɣeba) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Georgian: ახალი წევრის მიღება (axali c̣evris miɣeba) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • German: rekrutieren — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • German: anwerben — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • German: werben — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Greek: στρατολογώ (stratologó) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Greek: προσλαμβάνω (proslamváno) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Hungarian: toboroz — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Hungarian: verbuvál — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Irish: earcaigh — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Italian: arruolare — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Italian: reclutare — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Japanese: 募集する (boshū suru) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Korean: 모집하다 (mojiphada) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Lithuanian: verbuoti — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Macedonian: вр́бува (vŕbuva) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Macedonian: на́јмува (nájmuva) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Macedonian: на́јми (nájmi) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Māori: taritari — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rekruttere — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Norwegian Bokmål: verve — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rekruttera — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rekruttere — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Polish: rekrutować — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Polish: zrekrutować — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Polish: werbować — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Polish: zwerbować — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Portuguese: recrutar — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Russian: вербова́ть (verbovátʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Russian: завербова́ть (zaverbovátʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Russian: нанима́ть (nanimátʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Russian: наня́ть (nanjátʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Russian: рекрути́ровать (rekrutírovatʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Russian: набира́ть (nabirátʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Russian: набра́ть (nabrátʹ) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Slovak: verbovať — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Slovak: naverbovať — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Spanish: reclutar — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Swahili: sajili — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Swedish: rekrytera — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Swedish: värva — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ottoman Turkish: یازمق (yazmak) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: вербува́ти (verbuváty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: завербо́вувати (zaverbóvuvaty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: завербува́ти (zaverbuváty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: рекрутува́ти (rekrutuváty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: найма́ти (najmáty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: найня́ти (najnjáty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: годи́ти (hodýty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: згоди́ти (zhodýty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: набира́ти (nabyráty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Ukrainian: набра́ти (nabráty) — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Vietnamese: tuyển dụng — to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
  • Bulgarian: комплекту́вам (komplektúvam) — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Chinese Mandarin: 招募 (zhāomù) — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Chinese Mandarin: 征募 (zhēngmù) — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Czech: rekrutovat — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Dutch: rekruteren — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Esperanto: varbi — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Finnish: täydentää — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Galician: recrutar — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Georgian: გაიწვევს (gaic̣vevs) — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Georgian: ჯარში გაიწვევს (ǯarši gaic̣vevs) — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Georgian: გაწვევა (gac̣veva) — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Georgian: რეკრუტირება (reḳruṭireba) — to supply with new men, as an army
  • German: rekrutieren — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Irish: earcaigh — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Māori: taritari — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Norwegian Bokmål: rekruttere — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rekruttera — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: rekruttere — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Polish: rekrutować — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Polish: zrekrutować — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Portuguese: recrutar — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Spanish: reclutar — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Ottoman Turkish: یازمق (yazmak) — to supply with new men, as an army
  • Bulgarian: попълвам (popǎlvam) — to replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
  • Bulgarian: укрепвам (ukrepvam) — to replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
  • Finnish: virkistää — to replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
  • Italian: rinvigorire — to replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
  • Italian: ricreare — to replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
  • Italian: rigenerare — to replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
  • Finnish: virkistäytyä — to recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like
  • Italian: rigenerarsi — to recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like
  • Italian: rinnovare — to recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like
  • Italian: rinvigorire — to recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like
  • French: recruter — To prompt to intervene in a body region
  • Italian: reclutare — To prompt to intervene in a body region
  • Portuguese: recrutar — To prompt to intervene in a body region
  • Spanish: reclutar — To prompt to intervene in a body region
Real reading context

recruit in complete knowledge articles