recruitment

noun

re·​cruit·​ment ri-ˈkrüt-mənt 

1

: the action or process of recruiting

2

: the process of adding new individuals to a population or subpopulation (as of breeding or legally catchable individuals) by growth, reproduction, immigration, and stocking

also : a measure (as in numbers or biomass) of recruitment

Examples of recruitment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The #BeGood campaign is launching following reports that 2025 was one of ICE’s deadliest year in two decades, and in response to the current administration's $100 million wartime recruitment campaign aimed at expanding enforcement capacity. —Glamour, 11 Jan. 2026

Chris Jones / Imagn Images Florida quarterback transfer DJ Lagway, who committed to Baylor on Thursday, might still take other visits before signing with a school, two sources briefed on his recruitment confirmed Friday. —Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026

In the segment, Chieng broadened the critique to ICE’s conduct and culture, pointing to aggressive recruitment of gun-rights supporters and military-style personnel, as well as allegedly lower training and screening standards. —Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026

The recruitment of a permanent replacement for Mitchell is just beginning and may take much of 2026 to complete. —Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

recruitment

noun

re·​cruit·​ment ri-ˈkrüt-mənt 

1

: the increase in intensity of a reflex when the initiating stimulus is prolonged without alteration of intensity due to the activation of increasing numbers of motor neurons compare reinforcement

2

: an abnormally rapid increase in the sensation of loudness with increasing sound intensity that occurs in deafness of neural origin and especially in neural deafness of the aged in which soft sounds may be completely inaudible while louder sounds are distressingly loud