Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To engage (persons or a person) for service in the armed forces.
- intransitive verb To engage the support or cooperation of.
- intransitive verb To enter the armed forces.
- intransitive verb To participate actively in a cause or enterprise.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To enter, as a name on a list; enroll; register.
- To engage for public service, especially military or naval service, by enrolling after mutual agreement: as, to
enlist men for the army. - To unite firmly to a cause; employ in advancing some interest; engage the services of: as, to
enlist one's sympathies in the cause of charity. - Synonyms and Enroll, etc. See
record , v. - To engage in public service, especially military service, by subscribing articles or enrolling one's name; specifically, to engage in such service voluntarily.
- To enter heartily into a cause, with devotion to its interests.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To enroll and bind one's self for military or naval service
- intransitive verb To enter heartily into a cause, as if enrolled.
- transitive verb To enter on a list; to enroll; to register.
- transitive verb To engage for military or naval service, the name being entered on a list or register.
- transitive verb To secure the support and aid of; to employ in advancing interest.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb intransitive To join a
cause ororganization , especiallymilitary service. - verb transitive To
recruit the aid or membership of others. - verb To
secure , toobtain .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb hire for work or assistance
- verb engage somebody to enter the army
- verb join the military
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The eagerness to enlist is partly an extended expression of gratitude to the United States for liberating Guam from a brutal Japanese occupation during World War II.
Wipeout 2009
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The eagerness to enlist is partly an extended expression of gratitude to the United States for liberating Guam from a brutal Japanese occupation during World War II.
Wipeout 2009
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"In plain English, enlist in my company, my fine fellow, and your life and liberty are both safe."
The Pilot James Fenimore Cooper 1820
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I think the reason you won’t enlist, is you would indeed be officer material, and promptly get fragged by your own men.
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As, of course, it will - if you choose to enlist, that is.
Home/News 2009
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Desperate for answers and a quick solution to the problem, the Nazi commanders set aside from personal grudge long enough to "enlist" a Jewish scholar with intimate knowledge of the keep and its history to find out what it is that is killing them off and seemingly defying all rational modes of engagement.
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When Polish forces were deployed to Europe the only way to take the bear with them was to "enlist" him.
Boing Boing 2008
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In fact, the worst thing most of the protesters say repeatedly is "enlist," which I'm sure Sparling and other veterans there found particularly insulting, but which actually isn't.
Hullabaloo 2007
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Also, Elirabett: JAG Officers don't "enlist"; they get a commission.
Oh, why don't you just admit it? Ann Althouse 2006
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Republicans and Democrats are always trying to "enlist" new recruits to help.
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