entail

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verb en·tail \ in-ˈtāl , en- \

Definition of entail

transitive verb

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

2 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

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

the project will entail considerable expense

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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

Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming...victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Military to stop paying for sex reassignment surgery, no longer accept transgender people," 24 Aug. 2017
Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 ....victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

— margaret hartmann, The Cut, "White House Finds Solution to Transgender Military Ban: Delay, Then Let Mattis Decide," 24 Aug. 2017
Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 ....victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "White House Finds Solution to Transgender Military Ban: Delay, Then Let Mattis Decide," 24 Aug. 2017
Mader suggested business owners figure out what the job entails first, then hire someone who has the skills to do it.

— mark kellam, Glendale News-Press, "SCORE L.A. is in the business of helping start new businesses," 18 Aug. 2017
Our military must be focused on the decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

— andrew m harris, Bloomberg.com, "Military Servicemembers Sue Trump Over Transgender Proposal," 9 Aug. 2017
Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Twitter Explodes over Trump’s Sudden Ban on Transgender Troops," 26 July 2017
Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 ....victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "Donald Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed To Serve In US Military," 26 July 2017
Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 ....victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

— megan friedman, Cosmopolitan, "The Military Spends More on Viagra Than It Would on Medical Care for Trans People," 26 July 2017

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

See Words from the same year

entail Synonyms

Synonyms

carry, comprehend, contain, embrace, encompass, include, involve, number, subsume, take in

Antonyms

exclude, leave (out), miss out [British], omit

Related Words

comprise, consist (of); bracket; have, hold, own, possess; admit, receive; compose, constitute, form, make; assimilate, embody, incorporate, integrate

Near Antonyms

ban, bar, debar, preclude, prevent, prohibit; deny, refuse, reject; eliminate, except, rule out; lose, mislay, misplace

entail

play

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 1) estate

2 :something transmitted as if by entail

Recent Examples of entail from the Web

What does being Birmingham magazine's editor entail?

— tara massouleh, AL.com, "Meet Julia Sayers, Birmingham magazine's new editor-in-chief," 7 Aug. 2017
What are the different types of butt enhancement surgery, and what does the procedure entail?

— lily herman, Allure, "This Woman Died After a Botched Butt Enhancement Surgery From a Fake Doctor," 7 Aug. 2017
This announcement does not have entail any legal consequences.

— Washington Post, "Separatists proclaim a new state to replace all of Ukraine," 18 July 2017
Q: What did the Illinois Emergency Management Agency training entail?

— karen berkowitz, chicagotribune.com, "Shout Out: Steve Adler, emergency volunteer," 7 July 2017
The U.S. and China have the world’s two biggest economies, with all the commercial opportunities and headaches such a dynamic entails.

— julie pace, The Seattle Times, "Trump shifts from provoking to engaging to pressuring China," 30 June 2017
Can’t wait to see what their third wedding entails!

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley and Brooklyn Doula Domino Kirke Got Married … Again," 26 June 2017
Just as there is no one definition of what offering sanctuary entails, there is no official number of churches and congregations participating in the sanctuary movement.

— raul a. reyes, NBC News, "Meet the Man Who Wants NYC Catholic Churches to Offer Sanctuary to Immigrants," 19 June 2017
That $500,000 project entails reducing automobile lanes on the one-way eastbound street, which planners say does not carry a heavy traffic load, from three to one.

— andres viglucci, miamiherald, "Safer bike lanes to debut in Miami and South Beach. Will regular folks jump on?," 12 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of entail

see ¹entail

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

ENTAIL Defined for English Language Learners

entail

play

verb

Definition of entail for English Language Learners

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

Law Dictionary

entail

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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