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enlistment

enlistment

3 5.3
A period of time someone serves in the military after joining
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈlɪstmənt/
translation icon : servicio militar
  • On the other hand, the enlistment period was longer.

And once I finished up my my enlistment with the Air Force, I had a burning desire to do more.

Examples

  • People who do not possess these qualities are often let go after their initial enlistment.

    Academic text (2015)
  • My GI bill was not honored for not fulfilling my full enlistment.

    Blog text (12)
  • And once I finished up my my enlistment with the Air Force, I had a burning desire to do more.

  • Women reported the highest rates of harassment of all women in the military during their initial enlistment period.

    Academic text (1994)
  • I had decided, when my enlistment ended, to be discharged from the service in Japan.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • After his enlistment expired, he went back to the hills, to his home country.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The end of his enlistment nears.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The B-1 Navy Band remained in Pearl Harbor until the end of their enlistment in 1946.

    Academic text (2015)
  • After completing his four-year enlistment in the Air Force and graduating from Spartan School.

    Blog text (5)
  • After his enlistment in the Navy was over, he returned to civilian life.

Synonyms

tour
vsenlistment
  • Jargon
226 4.1

A time spent doing a job or duty, often in the military

refers to the full service period after officially joining, not just a role
tour of duty
vsenlistment
  • Jargon
22 6.0

A set time when a person in the military works in one place

is the overall service period after officially joining rather than a specific posting
hitch
vsenlistment
  • Informal
3 6.8

A time spent serving in the military

is the period of service after officially joining
term of enlistment
vsenlistment
  • Formal
5.7

A fixed period of time someone agrees to serve in the military

is the general period of service after officially joining
duty tour
vsenlistment
  • Jargon
5.9

A period of time a person spends working at an army post

is the general service time after joining, not a specific assignment

Antonyms

to discharge
  • Formal
100 4.4

Officially release someone from a duty, job, or responsibility

Compounds

The time before someone officially joins the military or another organization

5.7

A fixed period of time someone agrees to serve in the military

Surface Forms

enlistment singular
enlistments plural

Morphology

enlistment = enlist (transparent) = en + list + ment

The sense referring to a period of service is a common extension of the noun formed from 'enlist' + '-ment' and is predictable for learners.

Etymology

Enlistment originally meant being put on a list to join the army, and it later came to mean the period of service you agreed to when you signed up.