entered; entering
ˈen-t(ə-)riŋ 
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
1
: to come or go into
enter a room
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
Synonyms
Examples of enter in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
As a young man in the 1970s, Skaggs entered the world of bluegrass and got a feel for the genre.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2024
Freeman entered Monday on an eight-game hitting streak, going 12 for his last 27 with 11 RBIs and more extra-base hits (five) than strikeouts (four).
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2024
That's changing, but purposely entering therapy with a sibling, to repair or strengthen that relationship, is still not as common as, say, individual or couples therapy.
—Carrie Feibel, NPR, 29 Apr. 2024
Once a ritual among pro athletes and biohackers, cold plunges have entered the mainstream, as seen in Josh Brolin’s latest Saturday Night Live hosting appearance.
—Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Apr. 2024
And despite intense competition, new companies are still trying to enter the sector, like smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 29 Apr. 2024
Lilburn Police said in a news release that the suspect, 62, entered the Tana Food Mart along Lawrenceville Highway with a pistol.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 28 Apr. 2024
Camping hopefuls can now enter a lottery to experience three of the five available campsites at the High Sierra Camps from June to September.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Verb
Last summer, when Haaland went to the Chaco Culture National Historical Park to celebrate the implementation of a twenty-year ban on new oil and gas leases around the World Heritage site, members of the Navajo Nation blocked the road to the park, preventing Haaland and anyone else from entering.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
As a young man in the 1970s, Skaggs entered the world of bluegrass and got a feel for the genre.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2024
Freeman entered Monday on an eight-game hitting streak, going 12 for his last 27 with 11 RBIs and more extra-base hits (five) than strikeouts (four).
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2024
That's changing, but purposely entering therapy with a sibling, to repair or strengthen that relationship, is still not as common as, say, individual or couples therapy.
—Carrie Feibel, NPR, 29 Apr. 2024
Once a ritual among pro athletes and biohackers, cold plunges have entered the mainstream, as seen in Josh Brolin’s latest Saturday Night Live hosting appearance.
—Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Apr. 2024
And despite intense competition, new companies are still trying to enter the sector, like smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 29 Apr. 2024
Lilburn Police said in a news release that the suspect, 62, entered the Tana Food Mart along Lawrenceville Highway with a pistol.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 28 Apr. 2024
Camping hopefuls can now enter a lottery to experience three of the five available campsites at the High Sierra Camps from June to September.
—Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enter
Cite this Entry
“Enter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enter. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enter
verb
en·ter
ˈent-ər
entered; entering
ˈent-ə-riŋ
ˈen-triŋ
1
: to go or come in or into
enter a room
2
: penetrate sense 1b, pierce
the needle enters the skin at an angle
3
: to cause to be admitted to : enroll
enter a child in kindergarten
4
a
: to become a member of
b
: to take part in : join
enter a race
enter into a discussion
5
: to make a beginning
enter into business
6
: to take possession
entered upon their inheritance
7
a
: to set down in a book or list
entered my name on the roster
b
: to put in or into : insert
enter data into the computer program
8
: to place formally before a legal authority (as a court)
enter a complaint
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
1
: to come or go into
he breaks into and enters a vehicle—Code of Alabama
see also break, breaking and entering
Code of Alabama3
: 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
enterable
adjective
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