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

Amodei hoped that his early decision to enlist Claude in active duty would put him in a position to influence future terms of engagement—not only to satisfy his own conscience but to set an industry precedent. —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026

Rules of engagement make the American military stronger, no matter what the frat boys might tell you. —Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026

That comment comes amid broader concerns about interceptor depletion from a longer military engagement in Iran leaving the US in a poor position. —Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 14 Mar. 2026

The find came about through the Somer Valley Rediscovered partnership, which includes local town and parish councils and focuses on biodiversity conservation and community engagement with regional landscapes. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 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