Meaning & use
register for or to
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
To sign up for an event, course, or service, or to sign up in order to do something.
Grammar: Use 'for' + noun (register for a class) or 'to' + verb (register to vote).
Patterns
- register for something
- register to do something
You need to register for the conference by Friday.
She registered to vote as soon as she turned eighteen.
He registered for three classes this semester.
Common combinations
- register for a course
- I registered for a course in web design.
- register to vote
- Did you register to vote in the last election?
- register for an event
- We registered for the marathon early.
- register online
- You can register for the workshop online.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sign up
- More informal; 'sign up for' works the same way but is less formal than 'register for'.
- enroll
- Used mainly for courses and schools; 'enroll in' takes 'in', not 'for'.
Opposites
Word family
- registration noun
- The act of registering or the record of it.
- registered adjective
- Officially recorded or enrolled.
Commonly confused: register for or to or enroll?
register for or to vs enroll
'Enroll' is followed by 'in' (enroll in a class), while 'register' is followed by 'for' or 'to'.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
'Register for' is used before a noun like 'a yoga class'. 'Register to' is used before a verb, so 'registered to vote' is correct, but 'registered for to vote' is not. 'Registered to a class' is wrong because 'to' does not take a noun here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “register for or to”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.