recruit

UK: /rɪˈkruːt/ US: /rɪˈkrut/ ,(ri kro̅o̅t′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

re•cruit /rɪˈkrut/   n. [countable]

1. a newly enlisted or drafted member of the armed forces.
2. a new member of a group, organization, company, or the like.

v. 

3. to enlist (a person) for service in the military: [~ + object]
   to recruit people for a career in the army.
   [no object]
   He recruited for the Army.
4. to raise (a force) by enlistment:
   [~ + object] to recruit an army.
5. to seek to hire, enroll, or enlist (a person) in a group, company, or organization: [~ + object]
   to recruit new employees.
   [no object]
   were recruiting for an important executive position.
6. to seek or enlist (a person) for some activity or task:
   [~ + object] to recruit volunteers to wash the windows.

re•cruit•er, n. [countable]
re•cruit•ment, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

re•cruit  (ri kro̅o̅t′), n. 

1. a newly enlisted or drafted member of the armed forces.
2. a new member of a group, organization, or the like.
3. a fresh supply of something.

v.t. 

4. to enlist (a person) for service in one of the armed forces.
5. to raise (a force) by enlistment.
6. to strengthen or supply (an armed force) with new members.
7. to furnish or replenish with a fresh supply;
   renew.
8. to renew or restore (the health, strength, etc.).
9. to attempt to acquire the services of (a person) for an employer:
   She recruits executives for all the top companies.
10. to attempt to enroll or enlist (a member, affiliate, student, or the like):
    a campaign to recruit new club members.
11. to seek to enroll (an athlete) at a school or college, often with an offer of an athletic scholarship.

v.i. 

12. to enlist persons for service in one of the armed forces.
13. to engage in finding and attracting employees, new members, students, athletes, etc.
14. to recover health, strength, etc.
15. to gain new supplies of anything lost or wasted.

• Latin crēscere to grow; compare crescent)
• French, stem of recruter, derivative of recrue new growth, noun, nominal use of feminine past participle of recroître (re- re- + croître
• 1635–45

re•cruit′a•ble, adj. 
re•cruit′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

recruit / rɪˈkruːt/ verb

1. to raise or strengthen (an army, navy, etc) by enlistment
2. (transitive) to enrol or obtain (members, support, etc)
3. to furnish or be furnished with a fresh supply; renew
4. to recover (health, strength, spirits, etc)

noun

1. a newly joined member of a military service
2. any new member or supporter

Etymology: 17th Century: from French recrute literally: new growth, from recroître to grow again, from Latin recrēscere from re- + crēscere to grow

reˈcruitable adjective

reˈcruiter noun

reˈcruitment noun