enumeration

enumeration — noun

1. naming or mentioning every item in a collection individually, usually following

1.nounC1
Definition

naming or mentioning every item in a collection individually, usually following a fixed order

Example

The professor began an enumeration of all the elements needed for the chemistry experiment.

enumeration + of + noun phrase for listing items

Anya presented an enumeration of the rising costs of materials, overtime, and repairs at the board meeting.

present an enumeration of [concrete items]

Common collocations
  • detailed enumeration
  • complete enumeration
  • tedious enumeration
  • simple enumeration
  • enumeration of reasons
  • enumeration of facts
  • enumeration of requirements
Synonyms
  • listing

    less formal and more general; 'enumeration' emphasises the systematic one-by-one process

  • catalogue

    implies a more organised, often classified record rather than a simple act of naming

  • inventory

    specifically refers to listing goods or assets, while 'enumeration' can apply to any kind of item

Antonyms
  • summarisation

    selecting only the main points rather than naming every item

Grammar Patterns

enumeration + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common in academic or official writing rather than everyday speech. The object of the preposition of is typically a group of items, reasons, facts, or details.

Common Mistakes

Please do an enumeration of how many people attended.
Please count how many people attended.
enumeration implies naming each item individually, not just calculating a total number.

2. a written record in which items appear one after another with a number next to e

2.nounC1
Definition

a written record in which items appear one after another with a number next to each one

Example

Please check the enumeration of customer complaints on page fourteen.

enumeration of [items] on page [number]

The manual contains an enumeration of safety rules that every driver must follow.

contain an enumeration of [items]

Common collocations
  • check the enumeration
  • compare with the enumeration
  • enumeration of complaints
  • enumeration of rules
  • enumeration of prices
  • enumeration of items
Synonyms
  • list

    everyday word for the same concept; 'enumeration' is more formal and technical

  • catalogue

    implies a more descriptive or classified arrangement, not necessarily numbered

  • roster

    specifically refers to a list of people's names and duties

Grammar Patterns

the/enumeration + of + noun phrase

check/compare [object] with the enumeration

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (the act of naming), this sense refers to the physical or digital document that results from that act — the numbered list itself.

Common Mistakes

I wrote an enumeration of groceries I need to buy.
I wrote a list of groceries I need to buy.
enumeration is too formal for everyday shopping lists; use 'list' instead.
She made an enumeration of her friends.
She made a list of her friends.
'enumeration' sounds unnatural for personal or informal contexts.

Word family

  • enumerate
    verbC1
  • enumerative
    adjectiveC2
  • enumerator
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words involve recording items in an organised way, but they differ in scope and formality. Listing is the broadest and most neutral term — it can refer to any sequence of items, whether spoken or written, formal or casual. Enumeration (sense 1) emphasises the one-by-one process and is almost exclusively used in formal or technical contexts. Catalogue implies a systematic, often classified record with descriptive detail — libraries have catalogues, not enumerations. Inventory is narrower still, referring specifically to a detailed list of goods or assets, typically for stocktaking. Roster applies only to people and their assigned roles or shifts. For example, a manager might request an enumeration of project risks, consult an inventory of office supplies, and check the staff roster for weekend coverage.

listing ↗catalogue ↗inventory ↗roster ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • items
  • details
  • requirements
  • reasons
  • facts
  • rules
  • prices
  • complaints
  • elements

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'enumeratio', derived from 'enumerare' — 'e-' meaning 'out' and 'numerare' meaning 'to count', from 'numerus' ('number'). The word entered English through French in the mid-16th century, originally referring to a rhetorical device of listing points one by one, and later broadened to any systematic one-by-one listing or counting.