Word: enumerate (verb)

Associations

"Enumerate" means to list things one by one or to count them. It is often used when someone wants to clearly mention all items in a group or explain points step by step.

• Example 1: "The teacher asked us to enumerate the causes of the war." Here, it means to list all causes clearly.
• Example 2: "Please enumerate the reasons why you like this book." This means to mention each reason separately.
• Example 3: "The report enumerates the problems faced by the company." It means the report lists these problems. A well-known synonym is "list," but "enumerate" often sounds more formal and suggests a careful or complete counting or mentioning.

Substitution

You can replace "enumerate" with:

• list (more common and informal)
• count (if focusing on numbers)
• itemize (to break down into individual items) Using "list" is more casual, while "enumerate" sounds more precise or formal.

Deconstruction

• Root: "numerate" comes from Latin "numerus," meaning "number."
• Prefix: "e-" or "ex-" means "out" or "thoroughly." So, "enumerate" literally means "to count out" or "to number one by one." This helps explain why it means to mention or count things clearly and in order.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where you had to enumerate something, like steps in a recipe or reasons for a decision?
• How is "enumerate" different from just saying "talk about" or "mention"?
• When would it be better to use "enumerate" instead of "list"?