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

• betrothal
• espousal
• troth

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

That will get attention and clicks and engagement, which is the currency of our time. —Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025

The Top 10 Fashion Brands seen on the 2025 Academy Awards red carpet totaled a whopping $101 million in earned engagement, up from $87.5 million in 2024. —Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025

If the Nielsen data doesn’t necessarily tell the full story, the intensity of digital engagement around Unrivaled suggests that fans are very much taken with the new venture. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 7 Mar. 2025

However, many fans are anxiously awaiting news of an engagement. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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