Meanings
nounrecruit (plural recruits)
plural recruits
- A supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement.
- A hired worker
These new recruits were hired after passing the interviews
- biologyA new adult or breeding-age member of a certain population.
verbrecruit (third-person singular simple present recruits, present participle recruiting, simple past and past participle recruited)
present singular third person recruits · participle present recruiting · participle past recruited · past recruited
- To supply with new men, as an army; to fill up or make up by enlistment; also, to muster
the army was recruited for a campaign
1 more example
they were looking to recruit two thousand troops for battle
- archaicTo replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies; to remedy a lack or deficiency in.
Her cheeks glow the brighter, recruiting their colour.
1726, George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne, Phyllis Drinking3 more examples
“You have surprized my poor niece so, that she can hardly, I see, support herself.——Go, my dear, retire, and endeavour to recruit your spirits; for I see you have occasion.” At which words Sophia, who never received a more welcome command, hastily withdrew.
1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling[…] I, abstemious naturally, and rendered so by the fever that preyed on me, was forced to recruit myself with food.
1826, [Mary Shelley], chapter IV, in The Last Man. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 148My husband stayed for some days with the magistrate at Cardwell, recruiting his health and recovering from his fatigues, for the passage between Cape York and Cardwell had proved the most tedious and anxious part of the voyage.
1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 181 - intransitivebiologyTo become an adult or breeding-age member of a population.
- datedintransitiveTo recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like.
Go to the country to recruit.
2 more examples
Lean cattle recruit in fresh pastures.
Here it was certain she rapidly recovered her lost strength, and recruited her wasted form; and here she received the letters of her beloved family, relating many circumstances well known to our readers, but new to the travellers, the tidings having far to go.
1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXVII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 44
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna recently enlisted soldier
Similar
military recruit
Broader
enlisted person
nounany new member or supporter (as in the armed forces)
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From French recruter (as a verb).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian попъ́лване, на́борник
- попъ́лване (popắlvane)supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
- на́борник (nábornik)newly enlisted soldier
- новобра́нец (novobránec)newly enlisted soldier
- нае́мен рабо́тник (naémen rabótnik)hired worker
- вербувам (verbuvam)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- завербувам (zaverbuvam)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- набирам (nabiram)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- набера (nabera)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- комплекту́вам (komplektúvam)to supply with new men, as an army
- попълвам (popălvam)to replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
- укрепвам (ukrepvam)to replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
Catalan recluta, reclutar
- reclutanewly enlisted soldier
- reclutarto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Chinese Mandarin 新兵, 招聘
- 新兵 (xīnbīng)newly enlisted soldier
- 招聘 (zhāopìn)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- 徵兵 /征兵 (zhēngbīng)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- 招募 (zhāomù)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- 招募 (zhāomù)to supply with new men, as an army
- 征募 (zhēngmù)to supply with new men, as an army
Czech branec, rekrut
- branecnewly enlisted soldier
- rekrutnewly enlisted soldier
- verbovatto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- naverbovatto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- rekrutovatto supply with new men, as an army
Danish hverve, rekruttere
- hverveto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- rekruttereto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Dutch rekruut, rekruteren
- rekruutnewly enlisted soldier
- rekruterento enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- aanwervento enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- wervento enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- rekruterento supply with new men, as an army
Esperanto rekruto, adeptigi
- rekrutonewly enlisted soldier
- adeptigito enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- varbito supply with new men, as an army
Estonian noorsõdur
- noorsõdurnewly enlisted soldier
Finnish täydennys, alokas
- täydennyssupply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
- alokasnewly enlisted soldier
- tulokashired worker
- rekryyttihired worker
- rekryyttibiology: new member of population
- rekrytoidato enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- palkatato enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- värvätäto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- täydentääto supply with new men, as an army
- virkistääto replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
- virkistäytyäto recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like
French recrue, recruter
- recruenewly enlisted soldier
- recruterto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- enrôlerto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- recruterTo prompt to intervene in a body region
German Rekrut, rekrutieren
- Rekrutnewly enlisted soldier
- rekrutierento enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- anwerbento enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- werbento enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- rekrutierento supply with new men, as an army
Greek νεοσύλλεκτος, στρατολογώ
- νεοσύλλεκτος (neosýllektos)newly enlisted soldier
- στρατολογώ (stratologó)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- προσλαμβάνω (proslamváno)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Hindi रंगरूट
- रंगरूट (raṅgrūṭ)newly enlisted soldier
Hungarian újonc, regruta
- újoncnewly enlisted soldier
- regrutanewly enlisted soldier
- toborozto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- verbuválto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Icelandic nýliði
- nýliðinewly enlisted soldier
Indonesian rekrut, rekrut
- rekrutnewly enlisted soldier
- rekruthired worker
Irish earcach, earcach
- earcachnewly enlisted soldier
- earcachhired worker
- earcaighto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- earcaighto supply with new men, as an army
Italian reintegro, rimpiazzo
- reintegrosupply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
- rimpiazzosupply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
- reclutanewly enlisted soldier
- arruolatonewly enlisted soldier
- arruolareto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- reclutareto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- rinvigorireto replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
- ricreareto replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
- rigenerareto replenish, renew, or reinvigorate by fresh supplies
- reclutareTo prompt to intervene in a body region
- rigenerarsito recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like
- rinnovareto recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like
- rinvigorireto recuperate; to gain health, flesh, spirits, or the like
Japanese 新兵, 徴集兵
- 新兵 (shinpei)newly enlisted soldier
- 徴集兵 (chōshūhei)newly enlisted soldier
- 募集する (boshū suru)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Korean 신병, 징집병
- 신병 (sinbyeong)newly enlisted soldier
- 징집병 (jingjipbyeong)newly enlisted soldier
- 모집하다 (mojiphada)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Latin tiro
- tironewly enlisted soldier
Latvian iesācējs
- iesācējsnewly enlisted soldier
Lithuanian naujokas, verbuoti
- naujokasnewly enlisted soldier
- verbuotito enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Māori ika tauhou, taritari
- ika tauhounewly enlisted soldier
- taritarito enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- taritarito supply with new men, as an army
Norwegian Bokmål rekrutt, rekrutt
- rekruttnewly enlisted soldier
- rekrutthired worker
- rekruttereto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- verveto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- rekruttereto supply with new men, as an army
Polish rekrut, rekrutka
- rekrutnewly enlisted soldier
- rekrutkanewly enlisted soldier
- rekrutowaćto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- zrekrutowaćto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- werbowaćto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- zwerbowaćto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- rekrutowaćto supply with new men, as an army
- zrekrutowaćto supply with new men, as an army
Portuguese reforço, recruta
- reforçosupply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
- recrutanewly enlisted soldier
- recrutarto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- recrutarto supply with new men, as an army
- recrutarTo prompt to intervene in a body region
Romanian recrut
- recrutnewly enlisted soldier
Russian пополне́ние, призывни́к
- пополне́ние (popolnénije)supply of anything wasted or exhausted; a reinforcement
- призывни́к (prizyvník)newly enlisted soldier
- новобра́нец (novobránec)newly enlisted soldier
- ре́крут (rékrut)newly enlisted soldier
- наёмный рабо́чий (najómnyj rabóčij)hired worker
- вербова́ть (verbovátʹ)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- завербова́ть (zaverbovátʹ)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- нанима́ть (nanimátʹ)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- наня́ть (nanjátʹ)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- рекрути́ровать (rekrutírovatʹ)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- набира́ть (nabirátʹ)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- набра́ть (nabrátʹ)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Slovak branec, rekrut
- branecnewly enlisted soldier
- rekrutnewly enlisted soldier
- verbovaťto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- naverbovaťto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Spanish recluta, contratado
- reclutanewly enlisted soldier
- contratadohired worker
- reclutarto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- reclutarto supply with new men, as an army
- reclutarTo prompt to intervene in a body region
Swahili kurutu, sajili
- kurutunewly enlisted soldier
- sajilito enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Swedish rekryt, rekrytera
- rekrytnewly enlisted soldier
- rekryterato enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- värvato enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Tagalog sungko
- sungkonewly enlisted soldier
Turkish acemi er
- acemi ernewly enlisted soldier
Ukrainian призо́вник, призовни́к
- призо́вник (pryzóvnyk)newly enlisted soldier
- призовни́к (pryzovnýk)newly enlisted soldier
- новобра́нець (novobránecʹ)newly enlisted soldier
- ре́крут (rékrut)newly enlisted soldier
- вербува́ти (verbuváty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- завербо́вувати (zaverbóvuvaty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- завербува́ти (zaverbuváty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- рекрутува́ти (rekrutuváty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- найма́ти (najmáty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- найня́ти (najnjáty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- годи́ти (hodýty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- згоди́ти (zhodýty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- набира́ти (nabyráty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
- набра́ти (nabráty)to enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Vietnamese lính mới, tuyển dụng
- lính mớinewly enlisted soldier
- tuyển dụngto enroll or enlist new members or potential employees
Welsh recríwt, adfilwr
- recríwtnewly enlisted soldier
- adfilwrnewly enlisted soldier
Yiddish רעקרוט, פּריזיווניק
- רעקרוט (rekrut)newly enlisted soldier
- פּריזיווניק (prizivnik)newly enlisted soldier
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with recruit
suiteminuterouteutcuteshootdisputeacutesubstitutepursuitqtcomputefluterebootbuttemuteBeirutsalutecommutebrutelootmootnewttut
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
recruit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recruit
MLA
“recruit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recruit. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “recruit,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recruit.
Source: recruit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.