entail

American  

[en-teyl, en-teyl, en-teyl] / ɛnˈteɪl, ɛnˈteɪl, ˈɛn teɪl /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause or involve by necessity or as a consequence.

   a loss entailing no regret.

2. to impose as a burden.

   Success entails hard work.

3. 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.

4. Law. to cause (anything) to descend to a fixed series of possessors.

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noun

1. the act of entailing.

2. Law. the state of being entailed.

3. any predetermined order of succession, as to an office.

4. Law. something that is entailed, as an estate.

5. Law. the rule of descent settled for an estate.

entail British  

/ ɪnˈteɪl /

verb

1. to bring about or impose by necessity; have as a necessary consequence

   this task entails careful thought

2. property law to restrict (the descent of an estate) to a designated line of heirs

3. logic to have as a necessary consequence

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noun

1. property law

   1. the restriction imposed by entailing an estate

   2. an estate that has been entailed

Other Word Forms

• entailer noun
• entailment noun
• preentail verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of entail

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English entailen (verb), entail (noun), equivalent to en- ¹ + tail ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

He offered no details about what this would entail.

From Salon

While currency depreciation and tariffs both discourage imports, a lower currency also boosts exports, without the uncertainty and distortions that tariffs entail.

From The Wall Street Journal

This entails selling a downside put option and buying an upside call option.

From MarketWatch

Operations are scheduled months in advance, largely because bringing together forces from many countries entails complex planning and logistics.

From The Wall Street Journal

This typically entailed thoughtful consideration over the content of TV: what a program was about, how it was written, and what personalities were involved.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bring about
• call for
• encompass
• involve
• lead to
• necessitate
• require