engagement
gb/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/ us/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
B1
English
~ 5600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
State of being promised to marry
The time when two people have agreed to marry, but are not married yet.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s engagement to [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "engagement" with "wedding." "Engagement" is the period or state before marriage when two people have agreed to marry; the "wedding" is the actual marriage ceremony and celebration.
Synonyms
betrothal (More formal and less common in modern everyday speech.)
Antonyms
breakup (Refers to ending a romantic relationship instead of agreeing to marry.)
Collocations
announce an engagement
|break off an engagement
|long engagement
|engagement ring
|engagement party
|engagement announcement
Themes
relationships
|family
|daily life
|daily_life
Examples
- They announced their engagement to friends and family last weekend.
- Her engagement to Daniel was a complete surprise to everyone at the party.
- After a two-year engagement, they finally set a date for the wedding.
- She showed me the ring and told me about her recent engagement.
- The couple called off their engagement a few months before the wedding.
Learner examples
- My sister is very happy about her engagement.
- Their engagement will last one year before the wedding.
- He told his parents about his engagement to Maria.
- She is planning an engagement party for next month.
- They broke off the engagement after many arguments.
Noun
B1
event
2
Planned meeting or appointment
A plan to meet someone or do something at a certain time.
Usage pattern:
have an engagement at [time/place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "engagement" in this sense is only for romantic situations. In fact, it is also a common formal word meaning an appointment or planned event, especially in written or polite speech.
Synonyms
appointment (Common in both social and professional contexts; often used for formal or practical meetings.)
Antonyms
cancellation (Refers to stopping or calling off a planned engagement.)
Collocations
social engagement
|business engagement
|prior engagement
|keep an engagement
|cancel an engagement
|miss an engagement
Themes
daily life
|business
|daily_life
|work
|time
Examples
- I can't come to the dinner because I already have a prior engagement.
- She checked her calendar to see if she had any engagements that evening.
- The ambassador had several public engagements during his visit.
- He rushed from one engagement to the next all day.
- Due to a family engagement, she was unable to attend the conference.
Learner examples
- I am sorry, but I have another engagement tonight.
- He wrote all his engagements in his phone.
- She canceled her engagement at the last minute.
- My boss has many business engagements this week.
- We moved the meeting because of a school engagement.
Noun
B2
state
3
Active involvement and interest
How much people are active, interested, and involved in something.
Usage pattern:
engagement with [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this meaning is very common in business, education, and social media. They sometimes translate it only as "interest," but "engagement" usually also includes action or participation, not just feeling.
Synonyms
involvement (Broad and common; does not always include the idea of energy or enthusiasm that "engagement" often suggests.)
Antonyms
disengagement (Describes a lack of interest, emotional withdrawal, or pulling away from participation.)
Collocations
student engagement
|employee engagement
|audience engagement
|social media engagement
|public engagement
|increase engagement
Themes
business
|education
|media
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The teacher used group work to boost student engagement in the lesson.
- Our campaign focuses on increasing public engagement with climate issues.
- High employee engagement is linked to better company performance.
- The video had great engagement on social media, with thousands of comments and shares.
- The museum is working to improve engagement with younger visitors.
Learner examples
- The class showed low engagement and many students looked bored.
- Good leaders try to increase employee engagement.
- We track engagement with our website each week.
- Games and questions can help student engagement in class.
- The project failed because there was little community engagement.
Noun
B2
event
4
Booked performance or professional job
A job for a short time when a person is asked to perform or speak at a place.
Usage pattern:
have an engagement at [place]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is about marriage because of the word "engagement." In this sense it is unrelated to marriage and instead refers to a short job, usually for performers or speakers.
Synonyms
gig (Informal; commonly used for musicians and performers.)
Antonyms
cancellation (Refers to the end or removal of a planned engagement.)
Collocations
speaking engagement
|two-week engagement
|sold-out engagement
|club engagement
|book an engagement
|one-night engagement
Themes
business
|entertainment
|work
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The band has a three-night engagement at the downtown theatre.
- She flew to Paris for a speaking engagement at a major conference.
- After a long engagement in Las Vegas, the magician returned home.
- His schedule is full of concert engagements this summer.
- The comedian lost several engagements when the club closed.
Learner examples
- The singer has an engagement at the hotel tonight.
- He is busy because he has many speaking engagements.
- They booked a two-week engagement at the jazz club.
- She canceled the engagement because she was sick.
- The actor’s first big engagement was on Broadway.
Noun
technical
B2
event
5
Battle between armed forces
A fight or battle between armies or armed groups.
Usage pattern:
an engagement with [enemy/forces]
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize that this use is mainly military or historical. In everyday speech, "battle" or "fight" is more common; "engagement" sounds formal or technical in this context.
Synonyms
battle (Very common general word; slightly less technical than "engagement.")
Antonyms
ceasefire (Refers to stopping fighting rather than having a specific combat event.)
Collocations
armed engagement
|brief engagement
|engagement with enemy forces
|first engagement
|rules of engagement
|enter into an engagement
Themes
military
|history
|politics
Examples
- The soldiers were wounded in a brief engagement near the border.
- Historically, this valley was the site of several major engagements.
- Troops avoided direct engagement with the enemy during the night.
- The battle plan called for a quick engagement followed by withdrawal.
- New rules of engagement were issued to limit civilian casualties.
Learner examples
- Many soldiers died in the engagement.
- The army tried to avoid direct engagement with the enemy.
- This town was the place of a famous engagement.
- The general ordered no engagement after dark.
- They changed the rules of engagement to protect civilians.
Noun
technical
C1
state
6
Mechanical parts locking or meshing
The moment when machine parts connect so they can move or work together.
Usage pattern:
engagement of [part/mechanism]
Synonyms
meshing (Used especially for gears whose teeth fit together.)
Antonyms
disengagement (Describes mechanical parts separating so that they no longer transmit movement or force.)
Collocations
gear engagement
|clutch engagement
|smooth engagement
|full engagement
|engagement mechanism
|engagement and disengagement
Themes
technology
|engineering
|science
Examples
- A sudden clutch engagement can cause the car to jerk forward.
- The design allows for smooth engagement of the gears at high speed.
- Improper engagement of the locking mechanism may lead to failure.
- The engineer adjusted the timing of the valve engagement.
- A delay in engagement can damage the transmission over time.
Learner examples
- Slow clutch engagement makes the car easier to drive.
- The gears made a loud sound at engagement.
- Good engagement of the parts is important for safety.
- The mechanic checked the engagement of the brake system.
- There was a problem with the engagement of the lock.
Grammar
Dictionary form
engagement
IPA
GB/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
US/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
Syllables & stress
en - gage - ment (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (gage)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: engagement
- Plural: engagement, engagements
Word family
Forms
engagements
noun
Core family
engage
verb B1
engaged
adjective
Related words
engaging
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
disengage
verb
disengaged
adjective
disengagement
noun
Advanced or less common
engagingly
adverb
Expressions
audience engagement
1/ˈɔdiəns ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
Interest and reaction from an audience
How interested and active the people are who are watching or listening to something.
Examples
- The speaker used stories to improve audience engagement.
- Interactive polls can increase audience engagement during online events.
- The show was fun, but audience engagement was low.
engagement announcement
1/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt ənˈaʊnsmənt/
fixed phrase
Public notice of an engagement
A message, often in a newspaper or online, that tells people a couple is engaged.
Examples
- Their engagement announcement was posted on social media.
- The local paper printed an engagement announcement with their photo.
- They waited until after the holiday to make their engagement announcement.
engagement gift
1/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt ɡˈɪft/
fixed phrase
Present for a new engagement
A gift that someone gives to a couple when they become engaged.
Examples
- They received a beautiful vase as an engagement gift.
- We brought a small engagement gift to the party.
- Her friends sent flowers as an engagement gift.
engagement party
1/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt pˈɑɹti/
fixed phrase
Party to celebrate engagement
A party to celebrate that two people have decided to get married.
Examples
- They invited close friends to a small engagement party at their home.
- Her parents are planning a big engagement party for the couple.
- We met most of their family at their engagement party.
engagement photo
1/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt fˈoʊtoʊ/
fixed phrase
Photo to mark an engagement
A special photo of a couple taken after they decide to get married, often used for announcements or invitations.
Examples
- They hired a professional photographer for their engagement photos.
- The couple shared a sweet engagement photo on their website.
- Her parents framed the engagement photo and put it in the living room.
engagement ring
1/ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt ɹˈɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Ring given to show engagement
A ring that someone gives to their partner when they agree to get married.
Examples
- He surprised her with a diamond engagement ring at dinner.
- She proudly showed her new engagement ring to her coworkers.
- They chose a simple gold engagement ring instead of a large stone.
public engagement
1/pˈʌblɪk ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
formal
Interaction with the general public
Work that groups, like universities or governments, do to talk and work with the public.
Examples
- The museum runs public engagement programs for local schools.
- Scientists are encouraged to do more public engagement about their research.
- Effective public engagement can build trust in new policies.
rules of engagement
1/ɹˈulz əv ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
Official instructions for using force
Official rules that tell soldiers or police when and how they can use force.
Examples
- Commanders updated the rules of engagement to reduce civilian harm.
- Peacekeepers operate under strict rules of engagement.
- The report questioned whether the rules of engagement were followed.
social media engagement
1/sˈoʊʃəl mˈidiə ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
User interaction with social posts
How much people like, share, comment on, or click social media posts.
Examples
- The campaign had high social media engagement but low sales.
- They track social media engagement to see which posts work best.
- Adding questions to your posts can increase social media engagement.
speaking engagement
1/spˈikɪŋ ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
Arranged event to give a talk
A planned event where a person gives a speech, often for work or money.
Examples
- She has a speaking engagement at a tech conference next week.
- The author canceled his speaking engagement due to illness.
- He travels often for international speaking engagements.
employee engagement
1/ɪmplˈɔɪi ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
Workers' emotional commitment to job
How much workers feel interested in their job and want to do it well.
Examples
- Employee engagement is key to improving productivity.
- The survey measured overall employee engagement levels.
employee engagement
2/ɪmplˈɔɪi ɪŋɡˈeɪd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
Employees’ commitment and motivation
How much workers care about their job and company and want to do their best.
Examples
- The company invests in training to boost employee engagement.
- Low employee engagement can lead to high staff turnover.
- Regular feedback is important for maintaining employee engagement.