enter
/ˈentə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈentər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈen-tər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈen.tər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈen.t̬ɚ/ (ame, ipa)
enter — verb
- enterpresent simple I / you / we / they
- entershe / she / it
- enteredpast simple
- entering-ing form
1. to move through a door, gate, or opening into a room, building, or other space.
to move through a door, gate, or opening into a room, building, or other space.
Reuben entered the classroom quietly and sat at the back.
enter + noun phrase (place)
Please knock before you enter someone else's office.
enter (no object)
The thief entered the house through an unlocked window at the back.
Visitors must enter the museum through the main gate on Park Street.
When the fire alarm sounds, do not enter the building until a guard says it is safe.
文法句型
enter + noun phrase
enter (no object)
常見錯誤
2. to sign up to take part in a race, contest, exam, or similar type of event.
to sign up to take part in a race, contest, exam, or similar type of event.
Apinya entered the city marathon last month and finished in third place.
enter + noun phrase (event)
Élise decided to enter for the national spelling bee at her school.
enter for + noun phrase
Two hundred students from Lincoln High entered the regional science fair with projects on robotics and water testing.
Yasmin entered her younger brother in the under-twelve tennis tournament.
If you want to enter the photography competition, you must send your picture before Friday.
- sign up for
more informal; used for clubs, classes, and events
- register for
more formal; common in academic and official contexts
- go in for
British English; used for competitions
- withdraw from
to remove yourself from a competition after entering
文法句型
enter + noun phrase
enter for + noun phrase
用法筆記
When the object is another person (e.g. a child or student), the structure is 'enter + someone + in/for + event'.
常見錯誤
3. to put data, words, or numbers into a device, list, or form by pressing keys or
to put data, words, or numbers into a device, list, or form by pressing keys or writing.
Christopher entered his password and clicked the login button.
enter + noun phrase (data field)
The receptionist entered the patient's details into the hospital system.
enter + noun phrase + into + noun phrase
The nurse handed Koji a tablet and asked him to enter his allergy information before seeing the doctor.
Yael entered all the sales figures into the spreadsheet before the meeting.
The librarian entered the new books into the catalogue system one by one.
文法句型
enter + noun phrase
enter + noun phrase + into + noun phrase
常見錯誤
4. to officially place a formal statement — such as a complaint, a plea in court, o
to officially place a formal statement — such as a complaint, a plea in court, or an objection — onto the written record by following proper procedure.
The lawyer entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of her client.
formal/legal: enter a plea
Several residents entered a formal complaint about the noise from the new factory.
enter + formal complaint
The judge ordered the clerk to enter the decision into the court records.
Adisa entered an objection when the other side introduced new evidence late.
The defendant entered an appeal against the court's decision three weeks later.
文法句型
enter + noun phrase
用法筆記
Commonly used with nouns like 'plea', 'complaint', 'objection', 'appeal', or 'protest' in legal and formal contexts. Frequently passive: 'A complaint was entered.'
常見錯誤
5. to start belonging to a school, profession, or group as a recognised participant
to start belonging to a school, profession, or group as a recognised participant.
Felipe entered the university at the age of seventeen to study engineering.
enter + institution (enrolment)
Darius entered the legal profession after completing his bar exams.
enter + profession
After a coding bootcamp in Jakarta, Aylin entered the tech industry as a junior developer at a health start-up.
Our daughter hopes to enter medical school when she turns twenty-one.
To enter the monastery, candidates must show they are ready for religious life.
- join
more general; can be used for any group or organisation
- become a member of
more explicit but less common in everyday speech
文法句型
enter + noun phrase
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person. Object is an institution, profession, or organisation. Compare with Verb Sense 2 ('join competition'): this sense focuses on joining an organisation long-term, not a single event.
常見錯誤
6. to begin a specific span of time, a fresh stage of life, or a new situation.
to begin a specific span of time, a fresh stage of life, or a new situation.
The country entered a period of economic growth after the new trade agreement was signed.
enter + a period / phase
Padma entered her thirties feeling more confident about what she wanted in life.
When the two companies entered a new phase of their partnership, they hired more staff.
The peace talks entered a critical stage after both sides refused to compromise on borders.
Eri entered a new career chapter when she moved to Tokyo to lead the design team.
- end
to finish a period or phase
文法句型
enter + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently used with abstract nouns describing time periods or states: 'era', 'phase', 'stage', 'chapter', 'period'. Often literary or journalistic in tone.
常見錯誤
7. (in a play or performance) to come onto the stage as a character, especially acc
(in a play or performance) to come onto the stage as a character, especially according to a stage direction.
In Act Three, the ghost enters through a trapdoor in the middle of the stage.
passive stage direction: ghost enters
The director told William to enter from the left side and stand near the table.
The script says "Enter the King, followed by his guards and servants."
After the queen exits, the clown enters and begins a long, funny speech.
- exit
the opposite stage direction; to leave the stage
文法句型
enter (stage direction)
用法筆記
This sense is most often found in stage directions in play scripts. It is rarely used in everyday conversation. The noun 'entrance' is more common for describing an actor's arrival on stage.
enter — noun
1. the button on a keyboard that you press after typing a line or when you want to
the button on a keyboard that you press after typing a line or when you want to tell a computer to carry out an instruction.
After you finish typing, press Enter to send your message to the group.
press Enter to confirm/send
After typing his search query into the browser bar, Ryo pressed Enter and the results appeared instantly on screen.
After filling in all the fields on the registration page, Dewi pressed Enter and saw a confirmation message.
Reuben pressed Enter twice by accident and sent the same message twice.
- return key
older term; still used on some keyboards
用法筆記
Usually written without an article ('press Enter') or with 'the' ('hit the Enter key'). In computing manuals, 'Enter' is sometimes capitalised.
enter — combining form
1. a prefix meaning 'intestine', used at the start of medical words — for example,
a prefix meaning 'intestine', used at the start of medical words — for example, 'enteritis' means an inflamed intestine, and 'enterovirus' is a virus that infects the intestine.
The patient was diagnosed with enteritis, an inflamed intestine, after several days of severe stomach pain and fever.
enteritis = inflammation of the intestines
Enterocolitis causes painful swelling of the small and large intestines and can lead to severe dehydration if untreated.
The doctor suspected an enterovirus after the child developed a fever and stomach problems.
Enteropathy from gluten damages the lining of the small intestine, leaving patients unable to absorb nutrients.
- intestinal
the adjectival form used after the noun, e.g. 'intestinal infection'
用法筆記
This is not a standalone word but a prefix used in medical terminology. Common words formed with this prefix include 'enteritis', 'enterocolitis', and 'enterovirus'.