Reenlisted

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To voluntarily sign up again for continued service, especially in the military; to renew commitment to a duty or position; to reengage in active participation or enrollment after a prior term
2. To formally commit oneself once more to a role or organization, particularly by extending a term of service; to reenroll or recommit to a previous obligation; to decide to stay involved in a structured duty beyond an initial period
3. To choose to extend one’s service period by signing a new contract, often relating to armed forces; to reaffirm one’s dedication to an established responsibility; to undertake another period of active involvement following a completed term

Etymology: "Reenlisted" is the past tense of "reenlist," which means to sign up again for military service. It is a straightforward compound: the prefix "re-," meaning again, attached to "enlist." The prefix "re-" comes from Latin, where it carried the same sense of repetition or return, and it has been productive in English for centuries, so forming "reenlist" is a natural step once "enlist" was in place. The base word "enlist" is more layered. It combines the prefix "en-," meaning "in" or "into," with "list," which originally meant a roll or register. Medieval Latin "lista" was a strip or border, and from it came the idea of a written roll of names. To enlist was thus to be put onto a list, and to reenlist is to be written onto that list a second time, once a term of service has ended and a person has agreed to continue.

Synonyms: rejoined, re-enlisted, re-enrolled, re-enlisted, re-commissioned

Antonyms: discharged, resigned, retired, quit, left