Word
enlist
Phoneticsen·list
US/ˌɛnˈɫɪst/
UK/ɛnlˈɪst/
Definitions
01to join the military
v. to join the army, navy, or air force voluntarily.
v. to enroll voluntarily in the armed forces. Often used intransitively or with 'in'.
“He decided to enlist in the navy right after he finished high school.”
“Thousands of young citizens chose to enlist during the national crisis, motivated by a sense of duty rather than a desire for career advancement.”
Usage
Commonly followed by the preposition 'in'.
Synonyms
02to get help from others
v. to ask for and get help or support from someone.
v. to secure the support, aid, or cooperation of others for a specific purpose or project.
“The charity managed to enlist the help of several local businesses.”
“The researchers had to enlist the support of international experts to validate their findings before the final publication.”
Formal
Usage
Usually takes a direct object, often followed by 'the help of' or 'the support of'.
03to join a cause
v. to join a group or start helping with a specific goal or idea.
v. to join a non-military cause, organization, or movement voluntarily.
“She wanted to enlist in the fight against climate change.”
“Activists are hoping to enlist more students in the campaign to improve local public transport.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The younger Lomax’s first song-hunting trip without his father took place in the summer of 1935, though he didn’t travel alone, instead enlisting the help of two much older women.” “Why would such a young boy enlist in the first place?” Etymology
From en- + list.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/enlist