Meanings
present singular third person enlists · participle present enlisting · participle past enlisted · past enlisted · alternative archaic inlist
- intransitiveTo voluntarily join a cause or organization, especially military service.
The army wants potential soldiers to enlist.
- transitiveTo recruit the aid or membership of others.
We enlisted fifty new members.
1 more example
“The Emperor visited east-central China (江與京洛), and enlisted 400,000 soldiers and 500 Wu ships to cross the seas and go to P’ing-jang, (the Kao-li capital).”
1890, E. H. Parker, “On Race Struggles in Corea”, in Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, volume XVIII, Tokyo: The Hakubunsha, →OCLC, page 218 - transitiveTo secure; to obtain.
They enlisted the government's support.
1 more example
“I have tried, as I hinted, to enlist the co-operation of other capitalists, but experience has taught me that any appeal is futile that does not impinge directly upon cupidity. […]”
1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad
plural enlists · alternative archaic inlist
- One who is enlisted, usually in a military service.
[…] 19.17% are enlisted officers (including cadets and midshipmen with BA degrees and associate degrees, officers Designated Military Occupational Specialty, the enlists converting into conscripts], officers from ROTCs) ; 0.31% are conscripted […]
2006, USA International Business Publications, Taiwan National Security And Defense Law And Regulations Handbook
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo enter on a list; to enroll; to register.
More synonyms by meaning
verbengage somebody to enter the army
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
- Proto-Italic*en
- Proto-Italic*en-
- Latinin-
- Old Frenchen-
- Middle Englishen-
- Englishen-
- Old Englishlīste
- Old Frenchliste
- Medieval Latinlista
- Middle Englishlī̆st
- Englishlist
- Englishenlist
Translations
Ancient Greek ἐγγράφω
- ἐγγράφω (engráphō)to enter on a list, enroll, register
Bulgarian постъ́пвам, постъ́пя
- постъ́пвам (postắpvam)to join a cause or organization
- постъ́пя (postắpja)to join a cause or organization
- запи́свам се (zapísvam se)to join a cause or organization
- запи́ша се (zapíša se)to join a cause or organization
- вербу́вам (verbúvam)to recruit others
Catalan allistar, allistar
- allistarto enter on a list, enroll, register
- allistarto join a cause or organization
- allistarto recruit others
- reclutarto recruit others
Chinese Mandarin 入伍, 入隊 /入队
- 入伍 (rùwǔ)to join a cause or organization
- 入隊 /入队 (rùduì)to join a cause or organization
Czech zapisovat, zapsat
- zapisovatto enter on a list, enroll, register
- zapsatto enter on a list, enroll, register
- rukovatto join a cause or organization
- narukovatto join a cause or organization
- nabíratto recruit others
- nabratto recruit others
- zajišťovat sito secure, obtain
- zajistit sito secure, obtain
- získávatto secure, obtain
- získatto secure, obtain
Esperanto enlistigi, varbiĝi
- enlistigito enter on a list, enroll, register
- varbiĝito join a cause or organization
Finnish listautua, liittyä
- listautuato enter on a list, enroll, register
- liittyäto enter on a list, enroll, register
- ilmoittautuato enter on a list, enroll, register
- rekisteröityäto enter on a list, enroll, register
- liittyäto join a cause or organization
- värväytyäto join a cause or organization
- värvätäto recruit others
- rekrytoidato recruit others
- hankkia jäseneksito recruit others
- hankkiato secure, obtain
- saadato secure, obtain
French s'inscrire, rejoindre
- s'inscrireto enter on a list, enroll, register
- rejoindreto join a cause or organization
- recruterto recruit others
German eintragen, eintreten
- eintragento enter on a list, enroll, register
- eintretento join a cause or organization
- anwerbento recruit others
- rekrutierento recruit others
Japanese 入隊する
- 入隊する (nyūtai suru)to join a cause or organization
Korean 입대하다
- 입대하다 (ipdaehada)to join a cause or organization
Latin conscrībō
- conscrībōto enter on a list, enroll, register
Polish zapisywać się, zapisać się
- zapisywać sięto join a cause or organization
- zapisać sięto join a cause or organization
- werbowaćto recruit others
- zwerbowaćto recruit others
Portuguese alistar, alistar
- alistarto enter on a list, enroll, register
- alistarto join a cause or organization
- recrutarto recruit others
Romanian înrola
- înrolato join a cause or organization
Russian зачисля́ться, зачи́слиться
- зачисля́ться (začisljátʹsja)to join a cause or organization
- зачи́слиться (začíslitʹsja)to join a cause or organization
- запи́сываться (zapísyvatʹsja)to join a cause or organization
- записа́ться (zapisátʹsja)to join a cause or organization
- поступа́ть (postupátʹ)to join a cause or organization
- поступи́ть (postupítʹ)to join a cause or organization
- вступа́ть (vstupátʹ)to join a cause or organization
- вступи́ть (vstupítʹ)to join a cause or organization
- вербова́ть (verbovátʹ)to recruit others
- завербова́ть (zaverbovátʹ)to recruit others
- зачисля́ть (začisljátʹ)to recruit others
- зачи́слить (začíslitʹ)to recruit others
Slovak rukovať, narukovať
- rukovaťto join a cause or organization
- narukovaťto join a cause or organization
Spanish alistar, enlistar
- alistarto enter on a list, enroll, register
- enlistarto enter on a list, enroll, register
- alistarseto join a cause or organization
- sentar plazato join a cause or organization
- asentar plazato join a cause or organization
- enlistarto recruit others
Swedish värva, inskriva
- värvato enter on a list, enroll, register
- inskrivato enter on a list, enroll, register
- värvato recruit others
- rekryterato recruit others
Ukrainian запи́суватися, записа́тися
- запи́суватися (zapýsuvatysja)to join a cause or organization
- записа́тися (zapysátysja)to join a cause or organization
- вербува́ти (verbuváty)to recruit others
- завербува́ти (zaverbuváty)to recruit others
- залуча́ти (zalučáty)to recruit others
- залучи́ти (zalučýty)to recruit others
- запи́сувати (zapýsuvaty)to recruit others
- записа́ти (zapysáty)to recruit others
Vietnamese đăng ký, đăng lính
- đăng kýto enter on a list, enroll, register
- đăng línhto join a cause or organization
- đăngto join a cause or organization
- tòng quânto join a cause or organization
- tuyển quânto recruit others
- tuyểnto recruit others
- tranh thủto secure, obtain
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with enlist
Anagrams
Cite this entry
enlist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enlist
“enlist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enlist. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enlist,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enlist.
Source: enlist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.