entail

1 of 2

verb

en·​tail in-ˈtāl 

en-

entailed; entailing; entails

transitive verb

1

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

What exactly does the job entail?

The procedure does entail certain risks.

The process has tax benefits but also entails costs.

—David Roeder

2

law : 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

entailer

in-ˈtā-lər 

en-

noun

entail

2 of 2

noun

en·​tail ˈen-ˌtāl  in-ˈtāl 

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 entail entry 1 sense 2) estate

2

: something transmitted as if by entail

Synonyms of entail

Verb

• involve
• include
• encompass
• contain

Examples of entail in a Sentence

Verb

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 on the Web

Verb

Day understands that’s what being Ohio State’s coach entails. — Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Treating against the parents’ wishes would entail calling state authorities and requesting an emergency removal. — Eric Boodman, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026

Plus, sound mitigation sometimes entails costly build-outs or renovations. — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

For Perkins’ former seat, this will likely entail two more special elections; a primary, followed by a general election if at least one Democrat and at least one Republican file to run for his seat. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English entailen, entaillen "to restrict the inheritance of (property) to a particular class of heirs," borrowed from Anglo-French entailler, from en- en- entry 1 + -tailler, derivative of taille "cutting, shape in which cloth is cut, style, manner, restriction of the inheritance of an estate," derivative of tailler "to cut, fashion, stipulate, curtail, restrict (inheritance)" — more at tailor entry 1

Note: Alternatively, entailler could be regarded as a parasynthetic derivative of the phrase en (la) taille "restricted to a particular class of heirs." Compare tail entry 3, tail entry 4, and tally entry 1Alternatively, entailler could be regarded as a parasynthetic derivative of the phrase en (la) taille "restricted to a particular class of heirs." Compare 3TAIL, 4TAIL, and 1TALLY. .

Noun

Middle English entaile, derivative of entailen, entaillen "to entail entry 1"

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for entail

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email

Kids Definition

entail

1 of 2 verb

en·​tail in-ˈtā(ə)l 

1

: to limit the inheritance of (property) to the owner's direct descendants or to a certain group of them

2

: to have as a necessary part or result

the essay entails a lot of research

entailment

-mənt 

noun

entail

2 of 2 noun

en·​tail ˈen-ˌtāl  in-ˈtā(ə)l 

1

a

: an entailing of property

b

: an entailed estate

2

: the rule fixing descent by entailment

Legal Definition

entail

1 of 2 transitive verb

en·​tail in-ˈtāl 

: 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

estates are entailed entire on the eldest male heir

—Benjamin Franklin

entailment noun

entail

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of entailing real property

also : the practice of entailing property

the repeal of the laws of entail would prevent the accumulation and perpetuation of wealth in select families

—Thomas Jefferson

see also De Donis Conditionalibus

2

: an entailed estate in real property

if entails had not become barrable

—Eileen Spring

3

: the fixed line of descent of an entailed estate

Etymology

Transitive verb

Middle English entaillen, from en-, causative prefix + taille restriction on inheritance see tail