enter
1 of 2verb
en·ter ˈen-tər 
entered; entering ˈen-t(ə-)riŋ
intransitive verb
1
: to go or come in
2
: to come or gain admission into a group : join —often used with into
3
a
: to make a beginning
entering upon a career
b
: to begin to consider a subject —usually used with into or upon
4
: to go upon land for the purpose of taking possession
5
a
: to come onstage —usually used in the subjunctive as a stage direction
enter Hamlet reading
b
: to come into a preestablished situation or context like an actor coming onstage —usually used in the subjunctive
enter the new principal with her radical ideas
6
: to play a part : be a factor
other considerations enter when money is involved
transitive verb
1
: to come or go into
enter a room
2
: inscribe, register
enter the names of qualified voters
3
: to cause to be received or admitted
enter a child at a school
4
: to put in : insert
enter the new data into the computer
5
a
: to make a beginning in
enter politics
b
: to go into (a particular period of time)
enter middle age
6
: to become a member of or an active participant in
enter the university
enter a race
7
: to make report of (a ship or its cargo) to customs authorities
8
: to place in proper form before a court of law or upon record
enter a writ
9
: to go into or upon and take actual possession of (something, such as land)
10
: to put formally on record
entering a complaint
enterable
ˈen-t(ə-)rə-bəl
adjective enter-
2 of 2combining form
variants or entero-
: intestine
enteritis
Synonyms
Verb
- access
- penetrate
- pierce
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb Knock on the door before you enter the room. The medication will quickly enter the blood stream. The river enters the sea near here. Our son will be entering college next year. enter a child in kindergarten The new battleship is scheduled to enter service next spring. an actor who's just now entering his prime The strike has now entered its second week. We've entered a new phase in our relationship. The country is entering a period of prosperity. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Awi Federgruen, STAT, 16 Sep. 2022 The coffin is set to enter the Palace of Westminster through New Palace Yard. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2022 Companies that enter joint ventures typically share costs and liabilities. Jennifer Williams-alvarez, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022 But across that spectrum, as more people become interested in monitoring what goes on inside their bodies, the question of who gets a CGM, and who doesn’t, may become a model as other new medical technologies enter the market. AZCentral.com, 14 Sep. 2022 Starlink is also looking to enter the inflight WiFi market and signed deals with Hawaiian Airlines and private jet operator JSX to add Starlink antennas on their aircraft. Mihir Tripathy, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2022 Airport-style security checks are in place near the front of the line before people can enter Parliament. BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2022 The 12-member jury and 10 alternates were not present but were lining up outside the courtroom to enter. CBS News, 14 Sep. 2022 To enter, please fill out all of the fields in the form before noon on Tuesday, October 4. Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Sep. 2022 See More
Verb
Guarantee mechanisms can incentivize them to enter the market or expand capacities. Awi Federgruen, STAT, 16 Sep. 2022 The coffin is set to enter the Palace of Westminster through New Palace Yard. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2022 Companies that enter joint ventures typically share costs and liabilities. Jennifer Williams-alvarez, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2022 But across that spectrum, as more people become interested in monitoring what goes on inside their bodies, the question of who gets a CGM, and who doesn’t, may become a model as other new medical technologies enter the market. AZCentral.com, 14 Sep. 2022 Starlink is also looking to enter the inflight WiFi market and signed deals with Hawaiian Airlines and private jet operator JSX to add Starlink antennas on their aircraft. Mihir Tripathy, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2022 Airport-style security checks are in place near the front of the line before people can enter Parliament. BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2022 The 12-member jury and 10 alternates were not present but were lining up outside the courtroom to enter. CBS News, 14 Sep. 2022 To enter, please fill out all of the fields in the form before noon on Tuesday, October 4. Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English entren, from Anglo-French entrer, from Latin intrare, from intra within; akin to Latin inter between — more at inter-
Combining form
Greek, from enteron — more at inter-
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 3a
Phrases Containing enter
Kids Definition
enter
verb
en·ter ˈen-tər
entered; entering
1
: to come or go in or into
enter a room
enter middle age
2
: to stab into : pierce
The thorn entered my thumb.
3
: to put into a list or book : write down
The teacher entered my name on the roster.
4
: to put in or into
Enter the data into the computer.
5
: to become a member of
I entered a fitness club.
6
: to become a participant in or take an interest in
enter a race
enter politics
7
: enroll in : begin attending
enter kindergarten
Legal Definition
enter
intransitive verb
en·ter
: to go or come in
specifically : to go upon real property by right of entry especially to take possession
lessor shall have the right to enter and take possession
—often used in deeds and leases transitive verb
1
: to come or go into
he breaks into and enters a vehicle Code of Alabama
see also break, breaking and entering Code of Alabama2
: record, register
3
: to put in correct form before a court or on a record
entered judgment against the defendant
entering a plea
compare render 4
: to go upon (real property) by right of entry especially to take possession
if the lessee defaults, the lessor may enter the premises
compare distrain enter
verb
1
as in to penetrate
to go or come in or into the hikers entered the cave with considerable caution Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- penetrate
- access
- pierce
- invade
- step into
- set foot in
- infiltrate
- drop in
- encroach
- intrude
- trespass
- burst (in or into)
- infringe
- waltz (in)
- breeze (in)
- gate-crash
- pop (in)
- stray (into)
- barge (in)
- crash
- wander (into)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- leave
- exit
- depart
2
as in to join
to become a member of patriotic young men and women entering the armed services debutantes entering society Synonyms & Similar Words
- join
- rejoin
- reenter
- reenroll
- sign up (for)
- enlist (in)
- sign on (for)
- enroll (in)
- reenlist
- get in
- re-up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- withdraw
- quit
- demit
- drop out
3
as in to record
to put (someone or something) on a list new voters fill out a form and elections officials enter their names into the database Synonyms & Similar Words
- record
- register
- list
- enroll
- file
- enrol
- schedule
- inscribe
- index
- catalog
- slate
- classify
- book
- compile
- card
- note
- put down
- catalogue
- tabulate
- reschedule
- tally
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- delete
4
as in to receive
to offer entrance (as to a place, school, or privilege) to the club enters only five new members a year Synonyms & Similar Words
- receive
- admit
- take
- welcome
- confirm
- entertain
- fellowship
- ratify
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- refuse
- bar
- reject
- dismiss
- disallow
- ban
- decline
- disapprove
- expel
- banish
- throw out
- exile
- oust
- deport
- ostracize
- blackball
- blacklist
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of enter are penetrate, pierce, and probe. While all these words mean "to make way into something," enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in.
entered the city in triumph
While the synonyms penetrate and enter are close in meaning, penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance.
the enemy penetrated the fortress
Although the words pierce and enter have much in common, pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument.
pierced the boil with a lancet
In some situations, the words probe and enter are roughly equivalent. However, probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge.
probed the depths of the sea