What does "entering" mean?

1. (the act of going in) the act of going into a building, room, or other place. 2. (going into) the 'ing' form of enter, used to show someone is going into a place right now.

How do you use "entering"?

Often replaced by the noun 'entry' or 'entrance' in formal writing. Functions as a participle in reduced relative clauses or as part of a continuous verb phrase.

entering

n. · v.

US //ˈɛnɝɪŋ// UK //ˈɛntəɹɪŋ// en·ter·ing

1 the act of going in (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the act of going into a building, room, or other place.

the action of ingress or the act of passing into a physical or metaphorical space.

Example

The entering of the building was restricted to staff members only.

Example

The sudden entering of the witness into the courtroom caused a brief silence among the spectators.

Usage

Often replaced by the noun 'entry' or 'entrance' in formal writing.
- exiting
- departure
2 going into (v.)
A2 Elementary

the 'ing' form of enter, used to show someone is going into a place right now.

the present participle of 'enter', used in progressive tenses to indicate the process of moving into a space.

Example

I saw him entering the library with a stack of books.

Example

Upon entering the gallery, visitors are immediately struck by the scale of the central installation.

Usage

Functions as a participle in reduced relative clauses or as part of a continuous verb phrase.
- going in
- penetrating
- leaving

Last updated June 19, 2026