engagement

American  

[en-geyj-muhnt] / ɛnˈgeɪdʒ mənt /

noun

1. the act of engaging or the state of being engaged; involvement: The website failed because of weak visitor engagement.

   Voter engagement and turnout were high.

   The website failed because of weak visitor engagement.

2. an appointment or arrangement.

   a business engagement.

3. betrothal.

   They announced their engagement.

4. a pledge; an obligation or agreement.

   All his time seems to be taken up with social engagements.

   Synonyms:

   promise, contract

5. employment, or a period or post of employment, especially in the performing arts.

   Her engagement at the nightclub will last five weeks.

6. an encounter, conflict, or battle.

   We have had two very costly engagements with the enemy this week alone.

7. Mechanics. the act or state of interlocking.

8. Commerce. engagements, financial obligations.

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engagement British  

/ ɪnˈɡeɪdʒmənt /

noun

1. a pledge of marriage; betrothal

2. an appointment or arrangement, esp for business or social purposes

3. the act of engaging or condition of being engaged

4. a promise, obligation, or other condition that binds

5. a period of employment, esp a limited period

6. an action; battle

7. (plural) financial obligations

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Other Word Forms

• nonengagement noun
• reengagement noun

Etymology

Origin of engagement

First recorded in 1615–25; engage + -ment

Example Sentences

The president has appeared determined to deepen ties with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as the two prepare for a busy year of engagement ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead of showing content from accounts that users already follow, the endless scroll of TikTok's "For You" page is based on viewing habits, engagement patterns and sophisticated content analysis.

From Barron's

Those investments helped build some of China’s most important semiconductor, AI and hardware companies at a time when Washington viewed technological engagement as benign.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even when a particular engagement is a disaster, the action ultimately resolves with a moral clarity almost entirely absent from the messiness of my harried world.

From The Wall Street Journal

The martial vocabulary of his books with titles like “The Bloody Crossroads,” “Why We Are in Vietnam” and “World War IV” was striking when American cultural elites were retreating from military engagement.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• appointment
• arrangement
• commitment
• gig