An entry is a way into a place, or the act of going in. The entry to a building might be through a front door, a side entrance, or a grand archway. When you make your entry into a room, you're walking through that doorway and coming inside.

The word also describes something you submit or record. When you write an entry in your journal, you're adding a new piece of writing for that day. A dictionary entry is the section that defines a single word. In a contest, your entry might be a drawing, essay, or invention you've submitted, hoping to win. Students entering a science fair create an entry showcasing their experiment or research.

In bookkeeping and databases, an entry is a single recorded piece of information. An accountant makes an entry in the financial records every time money comes in or goes out.

The word carries a sense of beginning or joining. When you gain entry to a museum, you're allowed to go in and explore. When a new country gains entry into an alliance, it becomes an official member. Notice how entry can mark a threshold: the moment when you move from outside to inside, from not participating to actively involved.