entailed: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal / Academic
Quick answer
What does “entailed” mean?
To involve something as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To involve something as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence.
To impose, involve, or require as a necessary accompaniment or consequence. In law, to settle the inheritance of property over a number of generations so that it remains within a family.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is very similar. The legal sense of settling property (an entail) is more historically associated with British law but is understood in American legal contexts. The verb is used identically in core meaning.
Connotations
Slightly more common in British academic and formal writing, but the difference is minimal.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in British National Corpus compared to Corpus of Contemporary American English, but remains a mid-to-low frequency formal word in both.
Grammar
How to Use “entailed” in a Sentence
NP entail NP (The plan entailed significant risk.)NP entail V-ing (Success entails working hard.)NP entail that-clause (The theory entails that all matter is energy.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “entailed” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The renovation entailed knocking down an interior wall.
- Such a decision would entail considerable political risk.
- Does the position entail frequent travel?
American English
- The job entailed moving to the West Coast.
- The new regulations entailed higher compliance costs.
- The contract entailed that they finish by December.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form. Use 'inevitably' or 'necessarily' instead.]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form. Use 'inevitably' or 'necessarily' instead.]
adjective
British English
- He inherited the entailed estate, which he could not sell.
- The entailed responsibilities were listed in the document.
American English
- The property was entailed under the old family trust.
- She dealt with the entailed obligations of the role.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Describing the necessary steps, costs, or risks of a project or decision. (e.g., 'The merger entailed a complex restructuring.')
Academic
Used in logic, philosophy, science, and law to describe necessary consequences or conditions. (e.g., 'The hypothesis entails a specific testable prediction.')
Everyday
Less common, but used to describe what a task or situation requires. (e.g., 'The new role entailed a lot of travel.')
Technical
In logic: if proposition A entails proposition B, then B must be true if A is true. In law: the settling of property under an entail.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “entailed”
- Using 'entail' to mean simply 'cause' without the nuance of necessity. (Incorrect: 'Rain entailed a cancelled picnic.' Correct: 'Rain caused a cancelled picnic.')
- Confusing 'entail' with 'include' (entail is more about logical consequence than simple inclusion).
- Incorrect preposition: 'entail to' instead of 'entail' + direct object or 'entail V-ing'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is more common in formal, academic, or professional contexts (like business, law, and science). In everyday speech, people often use simpler words like 'involve', 'need', or 'mean'.
Yes, it can be neutral or positive. While it often implies a burden, it can simply state a necessary component. (e.g., 'The reward entailed a trip to Paris.')
'Entail' is stronger and more specific than 'involve'. It stresses that something is a necessary, logical, or inevitable part or consequence. 'Involve' is broader and can mean simply 'include' or 'have as a part' without the same force of necessity.
The noun is also 'entail'. It is used primarily in the legal/historical sense (e.g., 'the property was held in entail'), but can also refer to the act of entailing or the thing entailed in more general contexts.
To involve something as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence.
Entailed is usually formal / academic in register.
Entailed: in British English it is pronounced /ɪnˈteɪld/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɛnˈteɪld/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms with 'entailed' as the key word]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'EN-TAILED' sounds like 'in-TAILED' - imagine a task that has a long, unavoidable tail of necessary steps attached to it.
Conceptual Metaphor
CAUSATION IS PHYSICAL CONTAINMENT / NECESSITY IS A CHAIN. (The effect is 'contained within' the cause; requirements are 'linked' to the main action.)
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is the word 'entailed' used CORRECTLY?