engagement

noun

en·​gage·​ment in-ˈgāj-mənt 

en-

1

a

: an arrangement to meet or be present at a specified time and place

a dinner engagement

b

: a job or period of employment especially as a performer

2

: something that engages : pledge

3

a

: the act of engaging : the state of being engaged

b

: emotional involvement or commitment

… seesaws between obsessive engagement and ambiguous detachment.

—Gary Taylor

c

: betrothal

4

: the state of being in gear

5

: a hostile encounter between military forces

Synonyms of engagement

• betrothal

Examples of engagement in a Sentence

The couple recently announced their engagement.

She surprised everyone by breaking off her yearlong engagement.

We have a dinner engagement this weekend.

She's been offered several speaking engagements.

his lifelong engagement with politics

a lack of emotional engagement

Recent Examples on the Web

In an email signed by Stephen Tanner, Prosper's director of community engagement & experiences, the town also declined to answer questions. — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026

The $438 billion Gallup figure circulates primarily as a workforce engagement headline. — Cindy Rodriguez Constable, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

The high-profile wedding came 11 months after Swift and Kelce announced their engagement in a joint Instagram post, which included several photos from their enchanting garden proposal. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026

The city needs a more coordinated workforce system, stronger employer engagement, clearer pathways into growing industries, and sustained investment in the organizations that help workers navigate them. — Emma Pfohman, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Phrases Containing engagement

• re-engagement

Rhymes for engagement

• disengagement

Kids Definition

engagement

noun

en·​gage·​ment in-ˈgāj-mənt 

1

a

: a promise to be present at a specified place and time

b

: employment especially for a stated time

the band had engagements in different towns

2

: pledge entry 1 sense 5, obligation

3

a

: the act of engaging : the state of being engaged

b

: an agreement to marry

also : the period during which one is pledged to be married

4

: the state of being meshed into a working arrangement in which one part drives another

5

: the state of being in conflict, opposition, or battle

Medical Definition

engagement

noun

en·​gage·​ment in-ˈgāj-mənt 

: the phase of childbirth in which the fetal head passes into the cavity of the true pelvis