Word
enlisted
Phoneticsen·list·ed, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɛnˈɫɪstɪd/
UK/ɛnlˈɪstɪd/
Definitions
01to join the military
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to join the army, navy, or another part of the military.
v. to enrol voluntarily in the armed forces. Usually intransitive or followed by 'in'.
“He enlisted in the navy right after he finished high school.”
“Thousands of young men enlisted in the infantry during the first month of the conflict, driven by a mixture of patriotism and economic necessity.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'in'.
Synonyms
02to get help
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to ask for and get someone's help or support for a project.
v. to engage a person or their help in the service of a cause or a specific task.
“The teacher enlisted the help of several parents to organize the school trip.”
“The charity enlisted several high-profile celebrities to promote their new environmental campaign across social media platforms.”
Usage
Typically takes a direct object, often followed by 'the help of'.
03military rank
B2 · Upper Intermediate Technical
adj. describing soldiers who are not officers.
adj. relating to or being a member of the armed forces who does not hold a commission.
“The enlisted soldiers lived in a different building from the officers.”
“The commander addressed the enlisted personnel, praising their discipline and technical proficiency during the recent field exercises.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04the group of soldiers
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Formal · Technical
n. the group of people in the military who are not officers.
n. the collective body of personnel in the armed forces who are not commissioned officers.
“There was a clear social gap between the enlisted and the officers.”
“The reform aimed to improve the living conditions and educational opportunities for the enlisted across all branches of the service.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“The organization even enlisted actor Andrew Scott , who starred in the recent World War II drama Pressure , to read excerpts from a letter that Speedy sent soon after D-Day.” “This summer, I enlisted a few colleagues to offer a course, titled “Why read?”, to a few of our students.” - Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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