engineering

noun

en·​gi·​neer·​ing ˌen-jə-ˈnir-iŋ 

1

: the activities or function of an engineer

2

a

: the application of science and mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people

b

: the design and manufacture of complex products

software engineering

3

: calculated manipulation or direction (as of behavior)

social engineering

compare genetic engineering

Examples of engineering in a Sentence

This control panel is a good example of smart engineering.

Recent Examples on the Web

Bose, founded in 1964 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Amar Bose and controlled by the engineering school, recently acquired high-end luxury audio brands including McIntosh and Italian company Sonus faber. —Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 27 July 2025

The United Kingdom has introduced the Skilled Worker visa and a Global Talent visa, prioritizing applicants with job offers in shortage occupations or exceptional achievement in fields like AI and engineering. —Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025

The world’s largest long-haul airline is opening 17,300 new jobs this fiscal year (ending March 31) across cabin crew, pilots, engineering, and ground services to support the airline’s global network growth and increasing passenger demand. —Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 25 July 2025

Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's vice president of Starlink engineering, wrote on X that the network outage lasted approximately 2.5 hours. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing engineering

• biomedical engineering
• chemical engineering
• electrical engineering
• genetic engineering
• geotechnical engineering
• human engineering
• industrial engineering
• knowledge engineering
• mechanical engineering
• social engineering
• traffic engineering

Rhymes for engineering

• commandeering
• disappearing
• domineering
• interfering
• overhearing
• persevering
• pioneering
• privateering
• profiteering
• racketeering
• reappearing
• volunteering

Kids Definition

engineering

noun

en·​gi·​neer·​ing ˌen-jə-ˈni(ə)r-iŋ 

: the science or profession of developing and using nature's power and resources in ways that are useful to people (as in designing and building roads, bridges, dams, or machines and in creating new products)