enlist

[en-list] /ɛnˈlɪst/
verb (used without object)
1.
to enroll, usually voluntarily, for military service:
He decided to enlist in the Marines.
2.
to enter into some cause, enterprise, etc.
verb (used with object)
3.
to engage for military service:
to enlist men for the army.
4.
to secure (a person, services, etc.) for some cause, enterprise, etc.:
They enlisted us to serve as ushers at the meeting.
Origin
1690-1700; en-1 + list1
Related forms
enlister, noun
preenlist, verb
unenlisted, adjective
Synonyms
2. volunteer, join.
Examples from the web for enlist
  • They demand thought and they serve to quicken the conscience and enlist our sense of responsibility for their settlement.
  • Five lobbying firms are busily at work, and an online effort to enlist support is under way.
  • But it doesn't have to be-if you enlist the experts.
  • If you care so much about who is right and who is wrong, enlist or shut up.
  • If you are friendly with your neighbors, you can enlist them and their property into the game.
  • enlist kids to turn off lights when no one is in the room.
  • We can also enlist others to help us in this process.
  • If they tell you to take a hike, though, it's time to enlist some free legal aid.
  • Another, opposite tactic is to enlist the help of disinterested outsiders.
  • It is also a chance to enlist the support of an interested professor.
British Dictionary definitions for enlist

enlist

/ɪnˈlɪst/
verb
1.
to enter or persuade to enter into an engagement to serve in the armed forces
2.
(transitive) to engage or secure (a person, his services, or his support) for a venture, cause, etc
3.
(intransitive) foll by in. to enter into or join an enterprise, cause, etc
Derived Forms
enlister, noun
enlistment, noun
Word Origin and History for enlist
v.

1590s, from en- (1) "make, put in" + list (n.). Possibly suggested by Dutch inlijsten "to write on a list." Related: Enlisted; enlisting.