entanglement

noun

en·​tan·​gle·​ment in-ˈtaŋ-gəl-mənt 

en-

1

a

: the action of entangling : the state of being entangled

b

: something that entangles, confuses, or ensnares

a project delayed by legal entanglements

2

: the condition of being deeply involved

their entanglement in politics

Synonyms of entanglement

• tangle
• trap
• labyrinth
• web
• maze

Examples of entanglement in a Sentence

his life is greatly complicated by his romantic entanglements

Recent Examples on the Web

Temperature changes and mechanical vibrations can interfere with the quantum effects needed to establish entanglement. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026

The long experience of the United States in self-reliance has been followed by global entanglements which, while often brilliantly managed, have brought enormous disappointment and frustration. — Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026

Now the team is working to boost the source’s brightness and entanglement quality toward a field-deployable device. — Sanidhya Sharma, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026

Conservation groups have long made the case that lobster and crab fisheries are both dangerous to the whales, and government agencies have acknowledged that entanglement in fishing gear is a critical threat to the giant animals. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1687, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing entanglement

• quantum entanglement