entail
To involve or require as a necessary part or consequence
Examples
In a meeting
“This promotion will entail more travel and longer hours.”
Over coffee
“Owning a dog entails a lot more responsibility than I expected.”
Why this word
involve
entail emphasizes necessary consequences or requirements that logically follow, while involve is vaguer about necessity
require
entail stresses what necessarily follows or is inherently part of something, while require just indicates need
mean
entail formally indicates logical necessity or inevitable consequences, while mean is casual about implication
Usage tip
Use when explaining what something necessarily involves or requires—more formal than 'means'
Etymology
Old French: entailler (en- 'in' + tailler 'cut')
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Related words
stipulate
To demand or specify a requirement as part of an agreement.
mandate
An official order or requirement to do something; to officially require.
illuminate
Make something clear or easier to understand
prerequisite
Something required before something else can happen
demystify
To make something easier to understand by removing complexity or confusion
analogize
To draw a comparison or parallel between two things to explain or clarify