recruited; recruiting; recruits
1
a(1)
: to fill up the number of with new members : reinforce
recruit an army
(2)
: to enlist as a member of an armed service
b
: to increase or maintain the number of
America recruited her population from Europe
d
: to seek to enroll
recruit prospective students
2
3
: to restore or increase the health, vigor, or intensity of
: to enlist new members
recruiter
noun
1
: a fresh or additional supply
2
: a newcomer to a field or activity
specifically
: a newly enlisted or drafted member of the armed forces
3
: a former enlisted man of the lowest rank in the army
Synonyms
Examples of recruit in a Sentence
Verb
He was recruited by the army after high school.
Public schools are recruiting new teachers.
College football coaches spend a lot of time recruiting high school athletes.
College football coaches spend a lot of time recruiting.
Some parents don't think the military should be recruiting from high schools.
We recruited a crew of volunteers to help us.
I recruited my brother to drive us to the concert.
She recruited four friends to distribute food to the homeless with her.
Noun
the newest recruit on the team
She's one of the department's new recruits.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Kamp has also promised to work to enhance recruiting, specifically targeting women and veterans, while also focusing on retention.
—Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
What else to know: Flagg is not the only high-impact recruit.
—Zachery Eanes, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for recruit 
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Legends of Tomorrow started its life as the Arrowverse’s biggest flop, with a dull first season about a motley crew of heroes and villains from The Flash and Arrow being recruited by a time traveler to stop a despot’s rise to power.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Kamp has also promised to work to enhance recruiting, specifically targeting women and veterans, while also focusing on retention.
—Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
If Allar, a former five-star recruit who has been outstanding this season, is active, don't be surprised if Penn State pulls off the breakthrough upset given the way the Ohio State O-line has struggled against good defenses this season.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
What else to know: Flagg is not the only high-impact recruit.
—Zachery Eanes, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for recruit
Dictionary Entries Near recruit
Cite this Entry
“Recruit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recruit. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
recruit
2 of 2 noun
: a newcomer to a field or activity
especially
: a newly enlisted or drafted member of the armed forces
Etymology
Noun
from French recrute, recrue (noun) "new growth, a batch of new soldiers," derived from early French recroistre "to grow up again," from Latin recrescere (same meaning), from re- "again" and crescere "to grow"
Word Origin
The French formed the noun recrute, meaning "fresh growth," from their verb recroistre "to grow up again." This verb was taken from the Latin verb recrescere, which had the same meaning. Later, someone saw a likeness between "a fresh growth of plants" and "a fresh supply of soldiers." Thus they began using the word recrute for the new soldiers. In the 17th century this sense of recrute came to the attention of the English. They borrowed the word as recruit and began using it as a verb and noun. In time it acquired broader senses not related to the military.
Medical Definition
recruit
transitive verb
re·cruit
ri-ˈkrüt 
: to restore or increase the health, vigor, or intensity of
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