register
register — noun
- registersingular
- registersplural
1. an official book, document, or computer file where names, details, or events are
an official book, document, or computer file where names, details, or events are recorded systematically — for instance, a hotel listing of guests, a roll of voters, or a church's record of marriages.
The hotel receptionist asked Hui to sign the guest register when she checked in.
collocation: sign the register
Darius checked the electoral register to make sure his name was on the list.
collocation: electoral register (voter list)
The old church keeps a marriage register that goes back to the year 1875.
Every new patient must fill in a hospital register with their personal details.
- land register
- company register
- hotel register
- electoral register
- parish register
- marriage register
- birth register
- death register
- population register
Grammar Patterns
the + register
a + register + of + noun
in/to + register
Usage Note
Often appears in compound nouns like 'hotel register', 'electoral register', 'marriage register', and 'company register' to specify what kind of records are kept.
Common Mistakes
2. a book or electronic list that a teacher uses to record which students are prese
a book or electronic list that a teacher uses to record which students are present or absent from class each day.
The teacher marked the register as soon as the bell rang for first period.
verb collocation: mark the register
Anyone whose name is not in the register should go to the school office immediately.
Sana's mother signed the attendance register when she dropped her daughter off late.
Tuan checked the register at the front desk to confirm he had paid for the school trip.
check the register (verify attendance or payment)
- mark the register
- take the register
- call the register
- sign the register
- late register
- morning register
- roll
used in US English ('to call the roll') for the same activity
- attendance sheet
more common in US English, often a printed list of names
Grammar Patterns
the + register
in + the + register
mark + the + register
Usage Note
In British schools, this is often simply called 'the register'. The verb is 'to mark the register' (teacher checks attendance) or 'to take the register' (the act of calling names). In US English, 'attendance sheet' or 'roll book' is more common.
3. the regular time, usually during the first few minutes of the school morning or
the regular time, usually during the first few minutes of the school morning or after lunch, when the teacher marks which children are present.
The head teacher announced during morning register that the school trip was cancelled.
time reference: during morning register
Pim was five minutes late for afternoon register and received a detention.
After register the children went to their first lesson of the day.
The substitute teacher took register first, then handed out the worksheets for the project.
verb collocation: take register
- morning register
- afternoon register
- during register
- late for register
- after register
- taken during register
- registration
used interchangeably in British schools — 'registration period' means the same as 'register period'
- form time
the broader homeroom period in some UK schools that includes attendance-checking
Grammar Patterns
during + register
after + register
morning/afternoon + register
Usage Note
This sense refers to the time period or school routine, not the physical book. In British schools, 'morning register' typically takes place during the first 10 to 15 minutes of the school day and is often used for making general announcements. 'Afternoon register' happens after the lunch break.
4. the particular level and style of language appropriate in a specific social situ
the particular level and style of language appropriate in a specific social situation — for example, choosing formal words for an academic essay, casual talk among friends, or technical jargon for a professional meeting.
Academic essays require a formal register, so you should avoid slang and contractions like 'don't' or 'can't'.
contrast: formal register vs slang
Jude switched to a casual register when he started chatting with his classmates on the group chat.
The lawyer's statement used a legal register that was hard for ordinary people to follow.
domain-specific register: legal
Soraya used slang in her email to the professor and had to rewrite it in a more formal register.
contrast: slang vs formal register in email writing
- formal register
- informal register
- colloquial register
- technical register
- legal register
- neutral register
- shift register
- change register
- style
a broader term covering register as well as personal writing habits
- tone
focuses on the emotional quality of language rather than formality level
- level of formality
descriptive phrase rather than a single-word synonym, but captures the same idea
Grammar Patterns
in + adjective + register
formal/informal/technical + register
a + register + of + noun
Usage Note
Commonly paired with adjectives like 'formal', 'informal', 'neutral', 'colloquial', 'technical', or 'legal'. In linguistic analysis, register is different from 'dialect' (which is about a regional group) — register changes with the situation, not the speaker's identity.
Common Mistakes
5. the full span of pitches — from the lowest notes up to the highest — that any si
the full span of pitches — from the lowest notes up to the highest — that any singer or instrumentalist can produce; also, a named part of that span such as the upper, middle, or lower register.
The soprano practised long notes in her upper register until they sounded clear and steady.
vocal register: upper register
This part of the piece moves into a very low register that the cello handles beautifully.
Folake found it hard to sing in the middle register of the song because the notes kept shifting.
The saxophone's lower register has a warm, rich sound that many jazz players love.
instrumental register: lower register
- upper register
- lower register
- middle register
- vocal register
- head register
- chest register
- transition between registers
- instrument's register
Grammar Patterns
upper/lower/middle + register
in + the + adjective + register
vocal/instrumental + register
Usage Note
In singing, registers are often classified as 'chest voice' (lower, fuller), 'head voice' (higher, lighter), and 'falsetto' (highest, breathiest male register). Instrumental registers describe sections of the instrument's pitch range — e.g., the 'chalumeau register' of a clarinet is its lowest range, while the 'clarino register' is the highest.
Common Mistakes
6. a drawer inside a shop till that holds the money, or the entire machine that rec
a drawer inside a shop till that holds the money, or the entire machine that records sales and stores cash — often called a 'cash register' or just 'register'.
The shop assistant opened the register and gave Christopher his change in coins.
action: open the register (physical cash drawer)
Ramón worked at the front counter and handled all the payments at the register.
Folake opened the register and counted the money at the end of her evening shift.
action: open the register (cash drawer)
The old cash register had a loud bell that rang every time the drawer opened.
description: loud bell on an old register
- open the register
- close the register
- ring up on the register
- money in the register
- cash register drawer
- at the register
- the register bell
- till
common in British English, refers to the cash drawer or the whole machine
- cash register
the full name for the machine; this noun sense is usually abbreviated to just 'register'
- cash drawer
specifically the drawer part, not the whole machine
Grammar Patterns
the + register
open + the + register
money in + the + register
Usage Note
In British English, 'till' or 'cash register' is more common for the full machine; 'register' on its own for this sense is common in American English. The phrase 'ring (something) up on the register' means to enter a sale price into the machine.
Common Mistakes
register — verb
- registerpresent simple I / you / we / they
- registershe / she / it
- registeredpast simple
- registering-ing form
1. to put your own or someone else's name and details onto an official list, especi
to put your own or someone else's name and details onto an official list, especially for a course, an event, voting, a hotel stay, or a legal document.
Asher registered for the photography course online before the early-bird deadline passed.
intransitive: register + for + course
Iris registered her car with the local transport authority after moving to Taipei.
transitive: register + noun + with + institution
Students must register for classes by the end of the first week of the semester.
The couple registered their marriage at the city hall on a sunny Wednesday morning.
- register for a course
- register for an exam
- register a child for school
- register a car
- register a trademark
- register a domain name
- register with the police
- register a complaint
- register a birth
- register a marriage
- deregister
to remove from an official list or system
- unregister
to cancel a registration, especially in digital contexts
Grammar Patterns
register + for + event/course
register + as + profession/status
register + noun (name/child/car/complaint)
register + with + institution
Usage Note
Frequently used with 'for' (register for a course, conference, exam) and 'with' (register with a doctor, a university, the authorities). The object can be a person (register a child for school), a thing (register a car, a trademark, a domain name), or an event (register a marriage, a birth).
Common Mistakes
2. of a measuring tool, dial, or meter — to display a particular reading or number;
of a measuring tool, dial, or meter — to display a particular reading or number; of a person's face or actions — to make an emotion outwardly visible.
The outdoor thermometer registered forty degrees Celsius in the afternoon sun.
instrument: thermometer + register + measurement
The earthquake registered 6.2 on the Richter scale, shaking buildings across the region.
Tuan's face registered complete surprise when he opened the unexpected gift.
emotion: face + register + feeling
The speed camera registered his car going well over the limit on the highway.
- thermometer registers
- gauge registers
- register a reading
- register a measurement
- register surprise
- register shock
- register disapproval
- face registers
- speed camera registers
Grammar Patterns
register + noun (measurement/surprise)
register + on + instrument
register + at + value
Usage Note
With instruments and gauges, this sense is transitive (the thermometer registered 40°C). With emotions on faces, it is also transitive (her face registered shock). The intransitive use ('does the meter register?') is less common and usually asks whether the device is working. Do not confuse this with the 'notice/realize' sense (verb/3) — here the subject is a device or a face, not a person's mind.
Common Mistakes
3. to become aware of something or for something to be noticed by someone; used esp
to become aware of something or for something to be noticed by someone; used especially in negative constructions when a fact, sound, or event fails to attract attention.
Hui told him her phone number twice, but it still did not register in his tired mind.
negative pattern: did not register (intransitive)
It took a few seconds for the danger of the situation to register in Kasia's brain.
Sana registered the disappointment in her colleague's voice right away and asked what was wrong.
transitive: register + noun (perception)
The alarm clock rang for a full minute but the sound never registered in his deep sleep.
- did not register
- failed to register
- register in one's brain
- register in one's mind
- register with someone
- take a moment to register
- never registered
- notice
more general, can be intentional — 'I noticed the mistake right away'
- realize
emphasises the moment of understanding — 'I realized what had happened'
- sink in
phrasal verb, informal — emphasises the gradual process of understanding
- perceive
more formal, often used in academic or psychological contexts
Grammar Patterns
register (intransitive, of facts/sounds/events)
register + that-clause
register + noun (notice something)
not + register (often in negative)
Usage Note
This sense is very common in the negative: 'something doesn't register (with someone)'. The intransitive use takes the form 'it registers' or 'it didn't register', where 'it' refers to a fact, name, or event. The transitive use takes a conscious subject: 'she registered the change in his expression'. Distinguish from verb/2 — here, the subject is a person's mind (not a device or face), and the process is internal awareness, not external display.
Common Mistakes
4. to dispatch a package by a tracked postal method that gives you a receipt and of
to dispatch a package by a tracked postal method that gives you a receipt and official proof it was posted, and covers the item if it gets lost or damaged in transit.
Kasia registered the parcel containing the legal documents before the post office closed at five.
transitive: register + noun (parcel)
Christopher insisted on registering the wedding invitations to ensure they arrived safely.
The jeweller registered the package of watches before sending it to the customer in Tokyo.
Darius registered the contract because the lawyers needed a dated proof of posting.
purpose: proof of posting for legal reasons
- register a letter
- register a parcel
- register a package
- registered post
- registered mail
- send by registered delivery
- register with the post office
- send by registered mail
the full phrase for this postal service
- send by recorded delivery
a cheaper UK service that provides proof of delivery but not insurance
- send by regular mail
standard post without tracking or insurance
Grammar Patterns
register + noun (letter/parcel/document)
Usage Note
The object is always an item sent by post (letter, parcel, package, document). The collocation 'by registered post' (British) or 'by registered mail' (American) is also common: 'I sent it by registered mail.' The service is more expensive than regular post but provides compensation if the item is lost.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- registeredadjectiveB1
- registrationnounB1
- registrarnounB2
- registrynounB2
- deregisterverbC1
- unregisteredadjectiveB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All three synonyms involve putting information somewhere official, but they differ in scope. 'Register' is the broadest — you can register for a course, a conference, a car, a marriage, a complaint, or a domain name. 'Enroll' is narrower: it implies joining a programme or membership that continues over time, such as enrolling in a university degree or a health plan. 'Sign up' is informal and usually involves one-off events, subscriptions, or volunteer shifts — you sign up for a newsletter, a gym trial, or a charity run. 'Record' is even broader and less official: you record facts in a notebook or data in a spreadsheet without any bureaucratic process. For example: 'I registered my car at the DMV' (official government process); 'I enrolled in a Mandarin course at the language centre' (programme with regular classes); 'I signed up for the weekend hiking trip' (casual, one-time); 'I recorded the mileage in my logbook' (personal notation, not official).
Common collocations
Phrases
- register in person
- register online
- register by phone
- register in advance
- cut-off date to register
Etymology
The word 'register' comes from medieval Latin 'regestum' or 'regesta' (things recorded, a list), derived from 'regesta' (things carried back or recorded). It travelled through Old French 'registre' before entering Middle English in the 14th century. The original sense of a written record or list has remained central, while specialised meanings in music, language, and postal services developed later. The verb form emerged around the 16th century, first meaning 'to record in a register', then broadening to 'to show or indicate' in the 1800s, and developing the psychological sense of 'to be noticed' in the early 20th century.
First known use
14th century
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb