Definition of ENUMERATE

The Meaning of Enumerate Gets Specific

In a census year, the U.S. government attempts to enumerate every single citizen of the country—a task that, even in the modern era of technology, isn't truly possible. Medical tests often require the enumeration of bacteria, viruses, or other organisms to determine the progress of a disease or the effectiveness of a medication. Despite its numer- root, you don't have to use numbers when enumerating. For students of government and law, the "enumerated powers" are the specific responsibilities of the Congress, as listed in the U.S. Constitution; these are the only powers that Congress has, a fact that the Tenth Amendment makes even more clearly.

Examples of enumerate in a Sentence

Let me enumerate my reasons for doing this. I proceeded to enumerate the reasons why I would be justified in filing a lawsuit for negligence.

Recent Examples on the Web Advice columns enumerate tips for backing out of social plans without losing your friends. — Sarah Todd, Quartzy, "Why millennials never want to leave their apartment anymore," 15 Nov. 2019 Activist Kristin Mink posted video on Twitter of one such program, which enumerated allegations of various times Kavanaugh lied under oath. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Brett Kavanaugh Speech Protested With Rape Whistles, Handmaid Costumes, Christine Blasey Ford Video," 15 Nov. 2019 The federal statutes that exist each cover a specific, limited kind of data and enumerate a specific, limited kind of entity that's obligated to protect that data. — Kate Cox, Ars Technica, "New bill would create Digital Privacy Agency to enforce privacy rights," 5 Nov. 2019 In the pre-internet world, impeachment was a dramatic, singular event — the last-ditch option enumerated in the Constitution as the remedy for a lawbreaking president. — Kevin Roose, New York Times, "Brace Yourself for the Internet Impeachment," 26 Sep. 2019 In majority-minority Marin City, African American residents can enumerate discrimination and economic inequities that date to World War II. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, "A tiny Marin County district got California’s first school desegregation order in 50 years," 22 Sep. 2019 Yet another standing problem for all of the antitrust claims, says WME — citing another of the five factors the Ninth Circuit enumerated — is the problem of identifying and apportioning damages among claimants. — Jonathan Handel, The Hollywood Reporter, "Where the Writers Guild Stands in Its Legal War With Agencies," 30 Oct. 2019 With the Hot Wells Hotel, the question is which version of the hotel, as enumerated by the Edwards Aquifer Website, www.edwardsaquifer.net. — Paula Allen, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio builder found a way to foil floor fires at the turn of the 20th century," 14 Sep. 2019 By contrast, there is no enumerated right in the US Constitution to operate or store a vehicle on public land. — Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: Gun makers have locked up patents on gun safety devices," 22 Aug. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near enumerate

enumerative induction

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Last Updated

30 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Enumerate.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enumerate. Accessed 9 December 2019.