entail
Americanverb (used with object)
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entails,
present (3rd person singular)
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entailed,
past participle, past
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entailing
present participle
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to cause or involve by necessity or as a consequence.
a loss entailing no regret.
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to impose as a burden.
Success entails hard work.
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Law. to limit the passage of (real estate) to a specified line of heirs, so that it cannot be transferred or bequeathed to anyone else.
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Law. to cause (anything) to descend to a fixed series of possessors.
noun
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the act of entailing.
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Law. the state of being entailed.
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any predetermined order of succession, as to an office.
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Law. something that is entailed, as an estate.
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Law. the rule of descent settled for an estate.
verb
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to bring about or impose by necessity; have as a necessary consequence
this task entails careful thought
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property law to restrict (the descent of an estate) to a designated line of heirs
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logic to have as a necessary consequence
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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entailsimple
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entailssimple
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have entailedperfect
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has entailedperfect
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am entailingprogressive
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are entailingprogressive
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is entailingprogressive
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have been entailingperfect progressive
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has been entailingperfect progressive
Past
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entailedsimple
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had entailedperfect
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was entailingprogressive
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were entailingprogressive
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had been entailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entail
First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English entailen (verb), entail (noun), equivalent to en- 1 + tail 2 ( def. )
Explanation
To entail is to involve. A job at a movie theater might entail sweeping popcorn off the floor, probably because watching a movie entails eating popcorn in the dark. It’s a small price to pay! The word entail, which comes from Latin, is connected to the idea of preconditions. If you want something, you better figure out what it entails. If it’s only 8 o’clock and you want to see a movie at 9, that will entail waiting for an hour. If you want to stay out of trouble, that will entail calling your parents and letting them know you're going to be late. That’s what being responsible entails!
Vocabulary lists containing entail
List 7
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Pressed on what the expanding force posture would entail, Marles told journalists cooperation was also taking place in "logistics, cooperation, in respect of our air forces, cyber, and space".
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
Omishakin said it is too soon to say how much California will invest in the effort, or how many chargers it will ultimately entail, although the number is probably in the hundreds if not higher.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
It is unclear what the disciplinary procedures against Foucher entail or how long they will last.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Earlier this year, the central bank held its first conference on climate, nature and monetary policy, at which it highlighted the risks that climate change could entail for economic output.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Stephen, how do we know what the ultimate good of Humanity will entail?
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
That’s what his seeming break with longevity actually entails: an overhaul of his life’s mission away from “lifemaxxing” toward more specific goals like curing the incurable.
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026
Another ruse is called ghost booking, which entails an employee booking conference rooms or workstations online to suggest they are in the office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Only the second part of the Trump plan, involving active U.S. protection for friendly vessels, entails risky operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
"Parents and children now face an increased wait for these results, with all the anxiety this entails, through no fault of their own," he added.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
I have chosen this course which is more difficult and which entails more risk and hardship than sitting in gaol.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
It entailed careful removal of the stone flooring to reveal the mechanicals beneath.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Nobody scored more than 23 goals in the four seasons between 2018-19 and 2021-22, but the past four Golden Boots have all entailed between 27 and 36 goals.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
On Friday, the court's judges said the 2024 drone operation "entailed the use of South Korea's military capabilities for private purposes".
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Though he settled in New York, Church, a born outdoorsman, responded with enthusiasm to the hiking and camping so often entailed by the job of landscape painting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
However, this option, quite aside from the misgivings his lordship was bound to have as regards gossip travelling, entailed my having to rely on unknown quantities just when a mistake could prove most costly.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
In recent years, a couple of local districts have rolled out pilot programs entailing the release of sterile male mosquitoes to drive the population down, a relatively new approach to tackling these mosquitoes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2025
So, the fuel needs a larger percentage of this isotope, entailing higher uranium-235 enrichment than the 4 percent enriched LEU typically used in nuclear power plants.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 20, 2023
Sardinia has restaurants all over the island referred to as "agriturismo," which is where local farms offer up a dining experience typically entailing a set menu consisting of only ingredients from the property.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2023
Like other shareholders, Italy will see the value of its stake wiped out, entailing a 5.4 billion euro loss.
From Reuters ● Oct. 11, 2022
There are videos about the importance and difference of treble and bass clefs; there is a list of music terms and what they mean, and the site even contains videos entailing the transposition of music.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
