entail
/ɪnˈteɪl/ (bre, ipa) · [ɛntˈel] /ɪnˈteɪl/ (ame, ipa) · [ɛntˈel] /in-ˈtāl How to pronounce entail (audio) en-/ (ame, mw)
entail — verb
- entailpresent simple I / you / we / they
- entailshe / she / it
- entailedpast simple
- entailing-ing form
1. to have a cost, action, or result as an unavoidable part of something
to have a cost, action, or result as an unavoidable part of something
Repairing the bridge will entail closing the road for two weeks.
entail + -ing for a necessary action
Felipe's promotion entails weekly meetings with suppliers in three different cities.
job or role entails regular duties
Taking care of Grandpa now entails waking up twice each night.
The school expansion will entail extra fire drills and new safety signs.
- avoid
used when a cost or result can be prevented instead of becoming necessary
文法句型
entail + noun
entail + -ing
用法筆記
Object is usually a cost, duty, risk, or practical result. Often followed by -ing when the unavoidable result is an action, and it is more formal than involve.
常見錯誤
entail — noun
1. a legal rule that says land or property must pass only to a chosen line of famil
a legal rule that says land or property must pass only to a chosen line of family heirs
The duke's will created an entail that kept the estate in one family line.
create an entail by legal document
Without that entail, Rosa could have divided the farmland among all four children.
The lawyer explained that the entail ended when the last direct heir died.
Old marriage deals often used an entail to stop land from leaving the family.
文法句型
create an entail
break an entail
用法筆記
Used mainly in historical or legal discussion about land ownership. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the rule itself, while sense 2 is the property tied by that rule.
2. land or property tied to such a rule, so it cannot be freely sold or left to jus
land or property tied to such a rule, so it cannot be freely sold or left to just anyone
After his uncle died, Karim inherited the entail along with the manor house.
inherit the entail as an estate
Nadia lived on the entail, but she could not sell a single field.
live on the entail without power to sell it
The family debt was heavy, yet the entail still had to pass intact.
The survey map showed every barn, stream, and pasture inside the entail.
- estate
much broader; only an entail is legally tied to a fixed line of heirs
文法句型
inherit the entail
live on the entail
用法筆記
Refers to the estate or land subject to the rule in sense 1. Writers often mention who can inherit it and what parts cannot be sold.
常見錯誤
3. something, such as a burden or privilege, that is passed down from one generatio
something, such as a burden or privilege, that is passed down from one generation as if family rules fixed it there
In the novel, pride becomes an entail that each eldest son receives.
figurative use: a quality inherited like property
Her fear of poverty felt like an entail passed down through the family.
figurative: burden passed from one generation to another
The village treated public service as an entail from grandparents to grandchildren.
That quiet sense of duty was the only entail Mina wanted to keep.
- legacy
broader and more common; 'entail' adds the idea of something fixed in a family line
- inheritance
can be physical or abstract; 'entail' is more formal and often literary
文法句型
an entail passed down through a family
treat something as an entail
用法筆記
Mostly figurative and literary. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 3 is not land, but anything felt to pass down as if family law fixed it in place.