Standard Lemma guide

engagement

noun · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ.mənt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: EH0 N G EY1 JH M AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An appointment, especially to speak or perform.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • The lecturer has three speaking engagements this week.
  • prior engagement
  • a future engagement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Connection or attachment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Check the gears for full engagement before turning the handle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The feeling of being compelled, drawn in, connected to what is happening, interested in what will happen next.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, uncountable

Qualifier: about human emotional state

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The period of time when marriage is planned or promised.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • We are enjoying a long engagement, but haven't yet set a date.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

In any situation of conflict, an actual instance of active hostilities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The engagement resulted in many casualties.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The point at which the fencers are close enough to join blades, or to make an effective attack during an encounter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Topics: fencing, government, hobbies, lifestyle, martial-arts, military, politics, sports, war

Examples

  • After engagement it quickly became clear which of the fencers was going to prevail.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A performance metric representing an instance where a user interacts with some content after an impression.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A performance metric representing an instance where a user interacts with some content after an impression.

The quantitative response to a piece of content or a service; attention.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

employment for performers or performing groups that lasts for a limited period of time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the play had bookings throughout the summer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: booking

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: employment, work

Narrower terms: gig

10

noun

Meaning 10

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga
  • he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: battle, conflict, fight

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: military action, action

Narrower terms: Armageddon, pitched battle, naval battle, combat, armed combat, dogfight, assault, Battle of Britain, Drogheda

11

noun

Meaning 11

the act of giving someone a job

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: employment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: action

Narrower terms: shape-up, call-back, booking, reservation

12

noun

Meaning 12

the act of sharing in the activities of a group

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the teacher tried to increase his students' engagement in class activities

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: participation, involvement, involution

Antonyms: non-engagement

Broader terms: group action

Narrower terms: commitment, intervention, intercession, group participation

13

noun

Meaning 13

a mutual promise to marry

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: betrothal, troth

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: promise

Narrower terms: ringing

14

noun

Meaning 14

contact by fitting together

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the engagement of the clutch
  • the meshing of gears

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mesh, meshing, interlocking

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: contact, impinging, striking

15

noun

Meaning 15

a meeting arranged in advance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she asked how to avoid kissing at the end of a date

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: date, appointment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: meeting, get together

Narrower terms: blind date, double date, tryst, rendezvous

History

Etymology

From French engagement. Equivalent to engage + -ment.

Across languages

Translations

138 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ангажиме́нт (angažimént) — appointment
  • Esperanto: rendevuo — appointment
  • Finnish: esiintyminen — appointment
  • German: Verpflichtung — appointment
  • Italian: impegno — appointment
  • Portuguese: compromisso — appointment
  • Romanian: angajament — appointment
  • Russian: ангажеме́нт (angažemént) — appointment
  • Spanish: engagement — appointment
  • Ukrainian: ангажеме́нт (anhažemént) — appointment
  • Finnish: kytkentä — connection or attachment
  • Finnish: kytkeytyminen — connection or attachment
  • German: Bindung — connection or attachment
  • Italian: connessione — connection or attachment
  • Russian: сцепле́ние (sceplénije) — connection or attachment
  • Russian: зацепле́ние (zaceplénije) — connection or attachment
  • Spanish: acopladura — connection or attachment
  • Spanish: acoplamiento — connection or attachment
  • Ukrainian: заче́плення (začéplennja) — connection or attachment
  • Ukrainian: зче́плення (zčéplennja) — connection or attachment
  • Welsh: dyweddïad — connection or attachment
  • Finnish: osallistuminen — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Indonesian: keterlibatan — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Italian: partecipazione — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Italian: adesione — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Italian: presenza — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Italian: interesse — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Italian: interessamento — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Russian: вовлечённость (vovlečónnostʹ) — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Spanish: atención — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Spanish: participación — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Spanish: interacción — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Spanish: involucramiento — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Spanish: interés — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Spanish: involucración — feeling (about human emotional state)
  • Albanian: fejesë — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Arabic: خِطْبَة (ḵiṭba) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Arabic: خُطُوبَة (ḵuṭūba) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Armenian: նշանադրություն (nšanadrutʻyun) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Armenian: նշանդրեք (nšandrekʻ) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Aromanian: isozmã — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Aromanian: arãvoanã — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Azerbaijani: nişan — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Azerbaijani: adax — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Belarusian: зару́чыны (zarúčyny) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Bulgarian: годе́ж (godéž) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Burmese: စေ့စပ်ကြောင်းလမ်းခြင်း (ce.capkraung:lam:hkrang:) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Catalan: prometatge — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Chinese Mandarin: 婚約 /婚约 (hūnyuē) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Chinese Mandarin: 訂婚 /订婚 (dìnghūn) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Czech: zasnoubení — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Danish: forlovelse — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Dutch: verloving — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Esperanto: fianĉiĝo — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Estonian: kihlus — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Finnish: kihlausaika — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Finnish: kihlaus — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • French: fiançailles — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • French: accordailles — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Georgian: ნიშნობა (nišnoba) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • German: Verlobung — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • German: Verlöbnis — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Gothic: 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌹𐍆𐍄𐍃 (fragifts) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Greek: μνηστεία (mnisteía) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Greek: αρραβώνας (arravónas) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Hebrew: אֵרוּסִין — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Hebrew: אירוסים (erusin) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Hindi: सगाई (sagāī) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Hindi: मँगनी (maṅgnī) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Hungarian: eljegyzés — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Icelandic: trúlofun — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Icelandic: festar — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Indonesian: pertunangan — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Irish: gealltanas pósta — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Italian: fidanzamento — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Japanese: 婚約 (kon'yaku) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Kazakh: құда түсу (qūda tüsu) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Kazakh: құдаласу (qūdalasu) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Korean: 약혼 (yakhon) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Korean: 혼약 (honyak) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Kyrgyz: сүйлөшүү (süylöşüü) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Kyrgyz: кудалашуу (kudalaşuu) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Lao: ການຫມັ້ນ (kān man) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Latin: sponsālia — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Latvian: saderunāšana — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Lithuanian: sužadėtuvės — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Lithuanian: susižadėjimas — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Macedonian: веридба (veridba) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Macedonian: свршувачка (svršuvačka) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Malay: pertunangan — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Maltese: għerusija — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Māori: hapuitanga — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forlovelse — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Iranian Persian: نامْزَدی (nâmzadi) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Polish: zaręczyny — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Portuguese: noivado — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Romanian: logodire — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Romanian: logodnă — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Russian: помо́лвка (pomólvka) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Russian: обруче́ние (obručénije) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Serbo-Croatian: вѐридба — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Serbo-Croatian: за̑руке — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Serbo-Croatian: vèridba — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Serbo-Croatian: zȃruke — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Slovak: zasnúbenie — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Slovene: zaroka — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Spanish: noviazgo — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Swahili: uchumba — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Swedish: förlovning — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Tagalog: talimbuhol — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Tajik: номзадӣ (nomzadi) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Tajik: ноншиканон (nonšikanon) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Thai: การหมั้น (gaan-mân) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Turkish: nişan — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Turkish: nişanlanma — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Turkmen: nikalaşyk — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Ukrainian: зару́чини (zarúčyny) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Ukrainian: обру́чення (obrúčennja) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Urdu: مَن٘گْنی (maṅgnī) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Urdu: سَگائی (sagāī) — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Uzbek: unashtirish — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Vietnamese: hôn ước — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Welsh: dyweddïad — period of time when marriage is planned or promised
  • Bulgarian: сраже́ние (sražénie) — instance of active hostilities
  • Finnish: yhteenotto — instance of active hostilities
  • German: Gefecht — instance of active hostilities
  • Indonesian: kontak — instance of active hostilities
  • Irish: comhrac — instance of active hostilities
  • Norwegian Bokmål: trefning — instance of active hostilities
  • Portuguese: combate — instance of active hostilities
  • Russian: сраже́ние (sražénije) — instance of active hostilities
  • Russian: сты́чка (stýčka) — instance of active hostilities
  • Russian: схва́тка (sxvátka) — instance of active hostilities
  • Russian: бой (boj) — instance of active hostilities
  • Ottoman Turkish: صاواش (savaş) — instance of active hostilities
  • Ukrainian: бій (bij) — instance of active hostilities
  • Ukrainian: су́тичка (sútyčka) — instance of active hostilities
  • Russian: соедине́ние (sojedinénije) — in fencing
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