enrol

enrol — verb

1. to add your name, or someone else's name, to the formal register of a class, sch

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to add your name, or someone else's name, to the formal register of a class, school, club, or programme so you become an accepted student or member.

Example

Jiwoo decided to enrol in evening Spanish classes at the local community college.

enrol in [course] for joining a programme

Ayesha enrolled her younger brother at the village primary school last September.

transitive: enrol someone at [school]

Common collocations
  • enrol in a course
  • enrol on a programme
  • enrol at a university
  • enrol as a member
  • enrol for classes
Synonyms
  • register

    neutral and broader; works for events and services, not only classes

  • sign up

    more informal; common in spoken English

  • join

    general; doesn't imply a formal list, just becoming part of a group

  • admit

    from the institution's side; the school admits the student, not the other way round

Antonyms
  • withdraw

    remove yourself from a course or programme you had joined

  • drop out

    informal; leave before completing

Grammar Patterns

enrol in [course/programme]

enrol on [course]

enrol someone as [member]

enrol at [school/college]

Usage Note

Spelled 'enrol' in British English and 'enroll' in American English; both inflect as 'enrolled' and 'enrolling'. Subject is typically a person joining; object is typically the person being signed up.

Common Mistakes

I want to enrol the yoga class.
I want to enrol in the yoga class.
needs 'in' or 'on' before the course name.
She enroled her son yesterday.
She enrolled her son yesterday.
past tense doubles the 'l' in both British and American spelling.

Word family

  • enrolment
    nounB2
  • enrollee
    nounC1
  • enrolled
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five describe becoming part of a group or course, but they differ in formality and direction. 'Enrol' is the standard word for officially adding your name to a class, school, or training programme, and it suggests records and paperwork. 'Register' is broader: you register for events, conferences, websites, even to vote, not only for courses. 'Sign up' is the most informal cousin of 'enrol' and 'register'; you sign up for a workshop the way you'd sign up for a newsletter. 'Join' is the most general — you join a club, a team, or a company without any implication of a formal list. 'Admit' flips the perspective: the institution admits the applicant. So Yara might sign up for a dance class, enrol on a degree programme, join the chess club, and be admitted to law school in the same year.

enrol ↗register ↗sign upjoin ↗admit ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • enrol full-time
  • enrol part-time
  • enrol online

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from Old French 'enroller', literally 'to put on a roll', from 'en-' (in) plus 'rolle' (a roll of parchment). Lists of soldiers, students, or members were once written on long rolls of paper or parchment, so adding a name to that roll meant making someone an official member. The British spelling 'enrol' kept the single 'l', while American English settled on 'enroll'.