# enlisted

/ˌɛnˈɫɪstɪd/ (US) · /ɛnlˈɪstɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/enlisted
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to join the military

verb · CEFR B2

to join the army, navy, or another part of the military.

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. to get help

verb · CEFR B2

to ask for and get someone's help or support for a project.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. military rank

adjective · CEFR B2 · Technical

describing soldiers who are not officers.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. the group of soldiers

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

the group of people in the military who are not officers.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- He enlisted in the army after finishing college.
- The charity enlisted several local celebrities to help raise money for the new hospital wing.
- After the declaration of war, thousands of young citizens enlisted voluntarily, while the government simultaneously enlisted the help of private industry to accelerate weapons production.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.