Showing results for "engineering"

• present participle of engineer.

engineering

American  

[en-juh-neer-ing] / ˌɛn dʒəˈnɪər ɪŋ /

noun

• engineering
  plural

1. the art or science of making practical application of the knowledge of pure sciences, as physics or chemistry, as in the construction of engines, bridges, buildings, mines, ships, and chemical plants.

2. the action, work, or profession of an engineer.

3. Digital Technology. the art or process of designing and programming computer systems.

   computer engineering;

   software engineering.

4. skillful or artful contrivance; maneuvering.

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engineering British  

/ ˌɛndʒɪˈnɪərɪŋ /

noun

1. the profession of applying scientific principles to the design, construction, and maintenance of engines, cars, machines, etc ( mechanical engineering ), buildings, bridges, roads, etc ( civil engineering ), electrical machines and communication systems ( electrical engineering ), chemical plant and machinery ( chemical engineering ), or aircraft ( aeronautical engineering ) See also military engineering

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engineering Scientific  

/ ĕn′jə-nîr′ĭng /

1. The application of science to practical uses such as the design of structures, machines, and systems. Engineering has many specialities such as civil engineering, chemical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonengineering
  noun
• preengineering
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• engineering
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of engineering

First recorded in 1710–20; engineer + -ing ¹

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Explanation

If you're good at engineering that means you're able to apply scientific or mathematical ideas to real-world projects like designing a bridge, building a radio tower, and of course, designing engines. Think of engineering as the field where science, math, and technology meet. If you like to understand how things work and like building new things even more, then consider going into engineering. The word comes, predictably enough, from the word engine. You wouldn't want a poet designing the engine of your airplane, would you? Me neither.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

engineering

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has expressed a desire to put data centers in space, and the Bernstein team thinks “there are no fundamental physics or engineering barriers preventing orbital data centers.”

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 14, 2026

Special Agent in Charge of Cyber & Counterintelligence at FBI Los Angeles, Jeremy Robertson, details the #FaceStealer social engineering scheme attributed to North Korean hackers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2026

His background in engineering and experience launching a computational biology startup had given him a strong foundation for that work.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2026

“That was not typically the case. It would be somebody more on the engineering side of things,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

Newcomb worked alongside Director of the Geological Survey, John Wesley Powell, who had engineering training, to find a solution that improved on Jennings’s basic design.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

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Related Words

• architecture
• design
• metallurgy
• planning

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