enter

/ɛntər/

/ˈɛntə/

Other forms: entered; entering; enters

To enter is to go inside or into a place. When you enter your house after school, you might pet your cat and take off your shoes.

You might enter the kitchen to see what's for dinner, or enter the library to look for a book to read. In both cases, you go from one place into another, through a doorway. If you're an actor, the word enter takes on a different meaning: to appear on the stage during a play. The stage directions might read, "Enter the King, stage left." Countries also enter wars, and people enter contests — they register or become involved.

Definitions of enter

1. verb

   to come or go into
   “the boat entered an area of shallow marshes”

   synonyms: come in, get in, get into, go in, go into, move into

   antonyms:

   exit

   move out of or depart from

   go away, go forth, leave

   go away from a place

   types:

   take the field

   go on the playing field, of a football team

   penetrate, perforate

   pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

   re-enter

   go or come back in again

   file in

   enter by marching in a file

   pop in

   enter briefly

   walk in

   enter by walking

   call at, out in

   enter a harbor

   take water

   enter the water

   turn in

   make an entrance by turning from a road

   board, get on

   get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)

   intrude, irrupt

   enter uninvited

   encroach upon, intrude on, invade, obtrude upon

   to intrude upon, infringe, encroach on, violate

   dock

   come into dock

   break in

   intrude on uninvited

   dig into, poke into, probe

   examine physically with or as if with a probe

   cut

   penetrate injuriously

   interpenetrate, permeate

   penetrate mutually or be interlocked

   strike

   pierce with force

   break

   pierce or penetrate

   foray

   briefly enter enemy territory

   poke into

   enter briefly

   creep in, sneak in

   enter surreptitiously

   diffuse, imbue, interpenetrate, penetrate, permeate, pervade, riddle

   spread or diffuse through

   honeycomb

   penetrate thoroughly and into every part

   berth, moor, wharf

   come into or dock at a wharf

   pierce

   make a hole into

   pierce, thrust

   penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument

   pierce

   cut or make a way through

   tunnel

   force a way through

   filter, percolate, permeate, sink in

   pass through

   grain, ingrain

   thoroughly work in

   immerse, plunge

   thrust or throw into

   force, storm

   take by force

   ooze through

   run slowly and gradually

   embark, ship

   go on board

   entrain

   board a train

   catch

   reach in time

   bother

   intrude or enter uninvited

   barge in, crash, gate-crash

   enter uninvited; informal

   move in on

   make intrusive advances towards

   foray into, raid

   enter someone else's territory and take spoils
2. verb

   come on stage
3. verb

   become a participant; be involved in
   “enter a race”

   “enter an agreement”

   “enter negotiations”

   synonyms: participate

   antonyms:

   drop out

   give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope; admit defeat

   types:

   jump

   enter eagerly into
4. verb

   register formally as a participant or member
   synonyms: enrol, enroll, inscribe, recruit

   types:

   draft, enlist, muster in

   engage somebody to enter the army

   unionise, unionize

   recruit for a union or organize into a union

   register

   enroll to vote

   matriculate

   enroll as a student

   levy, raise, recruit

   cause to assemble or enlist in the military

   type of:

   register

   record in writing; enter into a book of names or events or transactions
5. verb

   set out on (an enterprise or subject of study)
   synonyms: embark

   types:

   take up

   pursue or resume

   type of:

   begin, commence, get, get down, set about, set out, start, start out

   take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
6. verb

   put or introduce into something
   synonyms: infix, insert, introduce

   types:

   connect, plug in, plug into

   plug into an outlet

   cannulate, cannulise, cannulize, canulate, intubate

   introduce a cannula or tube into

   input

   enter (data or a program) into a computer

   instil, instill

   enter drop by drop

   embed, engraft, imbed, implant, plant

   fix or set securely or deeply

   sandwich

   insert or squeeze tightly between two people or objects

   graft, transplant

   place the organ of a donor into the body of a recipient

   pot

   plant in a pot

   nest

   fit together or fit inside

   bury, sink

   embed deeply

   type of:

   attach

   cause to be attached
7. verb

   make a record of; set down in permanent form
   synonyms: put down, record

   types:

   chalk up, tally

   keep score, as in games

   clock in, clock on, punch in

   register one's arrival at work

   record, tape

   register electronically

   accession

   make a record of additions to a collection, such as a library

   post

   display, as of records in sports games

   ring up

   to perform and record a sale on a cash register

   manifest

   record in a ship's manifest

   inscribe

   write, engrave, or print as a lasting record

   chronicle

   record in chronological order; make a historical record

   file, file away

   place in a container for keeping records

   document

   record in detail

   log

   enter into a log, as on ships and planes

   clock up, log up

   record a distance travelled; on planes and cars

   film, shoot, take

   make a film or photograph of something

   tape, videotape

   record on videotape

   photograph, shoot, snap

   record on photographic film

   mark, score

   make underscoring marks

   notch

   notch a surface to record something

   keep, maintain

   maintain by writing regular records

   film

   record in film

   register

   record in writing; enter into a book of names or events or transactions

   book

   record a charge in a police register

   cancel, invalidate

   make invalid for use

   save, write

   record data on a computer

   tape record

   record with a tape recorder

   prerecord

   record before presentation, as of a broadcast

   file, register

   record in a public office or in a court of law

   retake

   photograph again

   reshoot

   shoot again

   x-ray

   take an x-ray of something or somebody

   cinematise, cinematize

   make a film of or adopt so as to make into a film

   microfilm

   record text or images photographically and at greatly reduced size on film

   cut

   record a performance on (a medium)

   cut

   make a recording of

   patent

   grant rights to; grant a patent for

   enrol, enroll, inscribe, recruit

   register formally as a participant or member

   list

   include in a list

   fine, ticket

   issue a ticket or a fine to as a penalty

   book

   register in a hotel booker

   type of:

   preserve, save

   to keep up and reserve for personal or special use
8. verb

   be or play a part of or in
   synonyms: figure

   type of:

   be

   have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
9. verb

   take on duties or office
   synonyms: accede

   types:

   ascend

   become king or queen

   type of:

   take office

   assume an office, duty, or title

   come after, follow, succeed

   be the successor (of)