To save this word, you'll need to log in.
en·list | \ in-ˈlist 
, en- \
, en- \enlisted; enlisting; enlists
Definition of enlist
1a : to secure the support and aid of : employ in advancing an interest
enlist all the available resources enlisted our help
b : to win over : attract trying to enlist my sympathies
2 : to engage (a person) for duty in the armed forces
1 : to enroll oneself in the armed forces
will enlist for three years
2 : to participate heartily (as in a cause, drive, or crusade)
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from enlist
enlistee \ in-ˌli-ˈstē , en- , -ˈli-stē \ noun
, en- , -ˈli-stē \ nounenlistment \ in-ˈlis(t)-mənt , en- \ noun
, en- \ nounExamples of enlist in a Sentence
They're enlisting volunteers for an experiment.
We enlisted all available resources.
I enlisted the help of our neighbors.
We enlisted the services of a professional.
They enlisted several new recruits.
After graduating, I enlisted in the navy.
He enlisted in the cause of world peace.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web And like Hayes, Alphus plans to enlist this summer in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 19.
—
Chelsea Curtis, USA TODAY, "Ira Hayes raised the flag on Iwo Jima. 75 years later, he still inspires this Indian community.," 23 Feb. 2020 And like Hayes, Alphus plans to enlist this summer in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 19.
—
Chelsea Curtis, azcentral, "Ira Hayes raised the flag on Iwo Jima 75 years ago. His heroism still inspires the Gila River Indian Community," 22 Feb. 2020 In 2017, during the battle for Mosul, the Wall Street Journal reported that French special forces had been sent to the city in order to enlist Iraqi soldiers to kill French nationals.
—
Sam Knight, The New Yorker, "If Shamima Begum, the ISIS Bride, Is No Longer British, What Does Citizenship Mean?," 15 Feb. 2020 That is a central element of Democrats’ impeachment case against the president, which charges him with seeking to enlist a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 election on his behalf.
—
Sheryl Gay Stolbergand Michael D. Shear, BostonGlobe.com, "Republicans move to block impeachment witnesses, driving toward acquittal," 29 Jan. 2020 But Randy still had to enlist the support of his brother for another donation, this one twice as big as the last.
—
Arizona Republic, "An Arizona couple donated $1 million to help foster children. One year later, they did even more.," 29 Jan. 2020 Expecting a major corporate lobbying group to enlist in #TheResistance seems unrealistic, especially three years in.
—
Brian Barrett, Wired, "Ivanka Trump's Future of Work Isn't for Workers," 7 Jan. 2020 But in order to take on the Empire himself (and not end of like Dak Ralter), Mando needs to enlist a few friends.
—
Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "The Mandalorian: Turns Out Baby Yoda Is Powerful (And Terrifying)," 18 Dec. 2019 Citizens here are also concerned about the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC), which requires people to produce documents of ancestry to be enlisted as Indian citizens.
—
Manavi Kapur, Quartz India, "India’s new Citizenship Act and national register of citizens are both inspired by “paranoia”," 15 Dec. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enlist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for enlist
enlist
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of enlist
: to get the support and help of (someone or something)
: to get (help, support, sympathy, etc.) from someone
: to sign up (a person) for duty in the army, navy, etc.
See the full definition for enlist in the English Language Learners Dictionary
enlist
verben·list | \ in-ˈlist \
\enlisted; enlisting
Kids Definition of enlist
1 : to join the armed forces as a volunteer
2 : to get the help of
Let's enlist our family in painting the house.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on enlist
What made you want to look up enlist? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
February 2020 Words of the Day Quiz
- Which is a synonym of probity?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share enlist
Time Traveler for enlist
The first known use of enlist was in 1599
See more words from the same year