English Reference
verb · adjective · noun

enlisted

v. · adj. · n.
US /ˌɛnˈɫɪstɪd/ UK /ɛnlˈɪstɪd/ en·list·ed

  1. 01 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'.

    Simple

    He enlisted in the navy right after he finished high school.

    In context

    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'.

    join upsign uprecruit
  2. 02 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.

    Simple

    The teacher enlisted the help of several parents to organize the school trip.

    In context

    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'.

  3. 03 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.

    Simple

    The enlisted soldiers lived in a different building from the officers.

    In context

    The commander addressed the enlisted personnel, praising their discipline and technical proficiency during the recent field exercises.

    non commissioned
  4. 04 C1 Advanced FormalTechnical

    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.

    Simple

    There was a clear social gap between the enlisted and the officers.

    In context

    The reform aimed to improve the living conditions and educational opportunities for the enlisted across all branches of the service.

    officer corps

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.

Smithsonian Magazine· 10 Aug 2026

This summer, I enlisted a few colleagues to offer a course, titled “Why read?”, to a few of our students.

The Conversation· 23 Jul 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated