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enroll

B2
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɛnrˈəʊl/

US

  • /ɛnˈroʊl/

Meanings

Verb

  1. to officially register for a school, course, or program

  2. to officially add someone to a list, register, service, or membership

Beyond the definition

Imagine a young wizard eager to learn magic. To enroll at Hogwarts, Harry Potter had to officially register and become a student. That's what "enroll" means: to formally sign up for a class, program, school, or organization. You might enroll in college, enroll your child in daycare, or enroll in a cooking class to learn how to make the perfect souffle. It usually means you are making a real commitment and may need to meet a few requirements.

Think of it like joining a club: you don't just show up; you officially become part of it. The word comes from Old French and is linked to the idea of adding a name to a written list.

Examples

  1. 1

    Language class

    She enrolled in a beginner's Spanish class last month.

  2. 2

    University enrollment

    Thousands of students enroll at the university every year.

    • Grammar

      enroll at + school, but enroll in + course/program

  3. 3

    Kindergarten

    We need to enroll our daughter in kindergarten before Friday.

  4. 4

    Employee benefits

    New employees are automatically enrolled in the company's pension plan.

    • Patternbe enrolled in

      already included officially

More examples
  1. 5

    Research study

    Patients can enroll in the study online.

  2. 6

    Rewards program

    I joined the gym but forgot to enroll in the app-based rewards program.

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • enroll in a course
  • enroll at a university
  • enroll for benefits
  • open enrollment

Word family

Explore

Forms and spellings

4 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • enrollverb

Forms

  • enrolledpast tenseverb
  • enrolling-ing formverb
  • enrollsverb