engaged
Americanadjective
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busy or occupied; involved.
deeply engaged in conversation.
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pledged to be married; betrothed.
an engaged couple.
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under engagement; pledged.
an engaged contractor.
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entered into conflict with.
desperately engaged armies.
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Mechanics.
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(of wheels) in gear with each other.
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Architecture. (of a distinct member) built so as to be truly or seemingly attached in part to the structure before which it stands.
an engaged column.
adjective
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pledged to be married; betrothed
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employed, occupied, or busy
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architect built against or attached to a wall or similar structure
an engaged column
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(of a telephone line) already in use
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of engaged
Explanation
Engaged means fully occupied or having your full attention. An engaged reader really focuses on the words and maybe even jots down questions or comments in the pages' margins. If you're busy or involved with something, you're engaged in it. A formal reply to an invitation to lunch might be, "I'm sorry, I'm otherwise engaged" — meaning you already have plans. Engaged often describes people who have committed to getting married. You can see this meaning in the word's origin, the French word engagier, meaning "to pledge."
Vocabulary lists containing engaged
Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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"What Is News?" and "How to Detect Bias in the News"
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The Great Gilly Hopkins
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kismet was also ordered to pay £259,298 in costs, with a judge saying the company had engaged in "considerable dishonesty" over a prolonged period of time.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
For years, Swift has kept her fans curious, engaged and part of her narrative.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
He and Erkılıç have achieved international acclaim for their team’s decades of foundational experimentation collaborating with dataset intelligences at the AI frontier, as well as for architecturally-scaled, narratively engaged visual embodiments of abstract technological constructs.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
Stock investors may not love it — but bond investors already heavily engaged in funding the AI buildout are pleased.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Although Marina’s aviators were excited to be finally engaged in combat, most people weren’t rushing to defend their Motherland with the same energy and passion they’d felt the year before.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
