entail

verb en·tail \ in-ˈtāl , en- \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of entail

entailed; entailing; entails

1 : to impose, involve, or imply as a necessary accompaniment or result

the project will entail considerable expense

2 : to restrict (property) by limiting the inheritance to the owner's lineal descendants or to a particular class thereof

3 a : to confer, assign, or transmit (something) for an indefinitely long time : to confer, assign, or transmit as if by entail

entailed on them indelible disgrace
—Robert Browning

b : to fix (a person) permanently in some condition or status

entail him and his heirs unto the crown
—William Shakespeare

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entailer

play \in-ˈtā-lər, en-\ noun

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entailment

play \in-ˈtāl-mənt, en-\ noun

See entail defined for English-language learners

See entail defined for kids

Examples of entail in a Sentence

Pregnancy involves the bodily dependence of the unborn child on its mother; in many cases, it entails a significant physical burden. —Cathleen Kaveny, Commonweal, 4 May 2007
… it was a Master Highlighter Event, a two-day guest appearance by one of Kinkade's specially trained assistants, who would highlight any picture bought during the event for free. Highlighting a picture is not that different from highlighting your hair: it entails stippling tiny bright dots of paint on the picture to give it more texture and luminescence. —Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2001
Life is a difficult and complicated enterprise. It entails joy but also suffering, gain but also loss, hope but also despair. —Neal Gabler, Life: The Movie, 1998
Discourse is a social as well as an intellectual activity; it entails interaction between minds, and it revolves around something possessed in common. —David A. Hollinger, In the American Province, (1985) 1992
He accepted the responsibility, with all that it entails.
a lavish wedding entails extensive planning and often staggering expense

Recent Examples of entail from the Web

Evaluating draft prospects is an unscientific process that entails a fair bit of guesswork.

— chris johnson, SI.com, "2018 NBA Draft Superlatives: Biggest Sleeper, Safest Pick And More," 14 June 2018
An honorable discharge is the only type that entails full benefits.

— jennifer mcdermott, The Christian Science Monitor, "Discharged veterans work to end employment discrimination," 25 May 2018
Macron arrived in Washington on Monday, marking the start of the first official state visit of the Trump presidency — with all the pomp and circumstance that entails.

— editors, USA TODAY, "Trump and Macron talk over dinner, Bill Cosby trial: 5 things to know Tuesday," 24 Apr. 2018
Instead, Hughes — the visiting clubhouse manager, a wide-encompassing position that entails taking care of the needs of players and coaches — has had the longest.

— clark spencer, miamiherald, "The man who’s been with Marlins since the start thought he wouldn’t make it past Day 1 | Miami Herald," 13 Mar. 2018
Initially tapped for the role of director of strategic communications — a title that largely entailed handling press requests involving the President or his family — she was elevated to the top communications role during the summer.

— philip elliott, Time, "Why Hope Hicks Resigning Matters," 2 Mar. 2018
Acting captain Saru meets evil Georgiou with all the emotional weight that entails.

— darren orf, Popular Mechanics, "'Star Trek: Discovery' Take a Welcome Breather Before the Battles to Come," 5 Feb. 2018
Rotondo, who claims to run a revenue-generating business, still would not explain what that venture entails.

— sean rossman, USA TODAY, "That 30-year-old man finally moves out of his parents' house, thanks to Alex Jones," 31 May 2018
In fact, according to The New York Times, only about five Justice officials knew what the whole case entailed -- a far lower number than the 12 or so who would typically be read in on a case related to national security.

— aileen graef, CNN, "NYT: Investigation into Trump's campaign kept quiet and cautious before 2016 election," 16 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'entail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of entail

Middle English entailen, entaillen, from ¹en- + taile, taille limitation — more at ⁴tail

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

entail Synonyms

entail

noun en·tail \ ˈen-ˌtāl , in-ˈtāl \

Definition of entail

1 a : a restriction especially of lands by limiting the inheritance to the owner's lineal descendants or to a particular class thereof

b : an entailed (see ¹entail 2) estate

2 : something transmitted as if by entail

Origin and Etymology of entail

see ¹entail

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

ENTAIL Defined for English Language Learners

entail

verb

Definition of entail for English Language Learners

: to have (something) as a part, step, or result

Law Dictionary

entail

transitive verb en·tail \ in-ˈtāl \

legal Definition of entail

: to make (an estate in real property) a fee tail : limit the descent of (real property) by restricting inheritance to specific descendants who cannot convey or transfer the property