enter into

enter into (third-person singular simple present enters into, present participle entering into, simple past and past participle entered into)

1. (transitive, law) To become legally committed to.

   One must be of legal age to enter into a contract.

2. (transitive) To engage in a formal or informal process.

   The country entered into peace talks with the militants.

   • 1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in An Autobiography, part I, London: Collins, →ISBN:

     An indulgent playmate, Grannie would lay aside the long scratchy-looking letter she was writing (heavily crossed ‘to save notepaper’) and enter into the delightful pastime of ‘a chicken from Mr Whiteley's’.

3. (transitive) To be relevant; to be a contributing factor in.

   He did the crime and will go to jail - the fact that he did not know it was illegal does not enter into it.

   • 1969, Monty Python, "Monty Python’s Flying Circus" (Dead Parrot sketch)

     [Owner]: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!

     [Mr. Praline]: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.

• retention, tontineer