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Meaning & use

re-enter

verb·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˌriːˈentə/
US/ˌriːˈentər/

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive or intransitive

    To go into a place again after leaving it.

    Grammar: Usually takes an object: re-enter the building. Without one it is also correct: please re-enter.

    Patterns

    • re-enter something
    • re-enter through something

    Passengers may not re-enter the terminal once they have passed security.

    The spacecraft will re-enter the atmosphere over the Pacific.

    He walked out in anger but re-entered the room a minute later.

  2. verbtransitive

    To join or take part in something once more after a break.

    Grammar: Takes an object such as a race, a market or the workforce.

    Patterns

    • re-enter the workforce
    • re-enter a contest

    After raising her children, she re-entered the workforce as a nurse.

    The company plans to re-enter the European market next year.

    The former champion decided to re-enter the race.

  3. verbtransitivecomputing

    To type or record information again, usually because it was wrong or lost.

    Grammar: Takes an object such as a password or number.

    Patterns

    • re-enter a password
    • re-enter data

    Please re-enter your password to continue.

    The clerk had to re-enter all the figures after the system crashed.

    If the code is not accepted, re-enter it carefully.

Word forms

third person singularre-enters
past tensere-entered
past participlere-entered
-ing formre-entering

Common combinations

re-enter the atmosphere
The capsule re-entered the atmosphere at great speed.
re-enter the workforce
Many parents re-enter the workforce when their children start school.
re-enter a password
You will need to re-enter your password.
re-enter the country
Visitors need a valid visa to re-enter the country.
re-enter the market
The brand hopes to re-enter the market with a new model.

Synonyms and how they differ

return to
Return to is the plainer everyday phrase and suits going back anywhere, whereas re-enter stresses going in through an entrance or boundary.
rejoin
Rejoin means to become a member or part of something again, and is less used for physical places.
resume
Resume means to continue after a pause, while re-enter implies going back inside or into a field.
retype
Retype only covers entering text again on a keyboard, but re-enter can cover any information or data.

Opposites

exitleave

Word family

re-entry noun
the act of going in again, especially into the atmosphere
enter verb
to go into a place
entrance noun
a way in, or the act of coming in
reentry noun
an alternative spelling of re-entry, common in American English

Commonly confused: re-enter or reenter?

re-enter vs reenter

Reenter is a perfectly accepted variant spelling in American English, so the choice mostly depends on the publication's style.

Practice

The airline asked passengers not to ___ the departure lounge once they had gone through security.

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