ENGAGEMENT

engagement, booking

(noun) employment for performers or performing groups that lasts for a limited period of time; “the play had bookings throughout the summer”

battle, conflict, fight, engagement

(noun) a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; “Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga”; “he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement”

employment, engagement

(noun) the act of giving someone a job

engagement, participation, involvement, involution

(noun) the act of sharing in the activities of a group; “the teacher tried to increase his students’ engagement in class activities”

betrothal, troth, engagement

(noun) a mutual promise to marry

engagement, mesh, meshing, interlocking

(noun) contact by fitting together; “the engagement of the clutch”; “the meshing of gears”

date, appointment, engagement

(noun) a meeting arranged in advance; “she asked how to avoid kissing at the end of a date”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

engagement (countable and uncountable, plural engagements)

(countable) An appointment, especially to speak or perform.

(uncountable) Connection or attachment.

(uncountable, by extension, about human emotional state) The feeling of being compelled, drawn in, connected to what is happening, interested in what will happen next.

(countable, uncountable) The period of time when marriage is planned or promised.

(countable, uncountable) In any situation of conflict, an actual instance of active hostilities.

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

Synonyms

• commitment

• action

Antonyms

• apathy

• disengagement

Source: Wiktionary

En*gage"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. engagement.]

1. The act of engaging, pledging, enlisting, occupying, or entering into contest.

2. The state of being engaged, pledged or occupied; specif., a pledge to take some one as husband or wife.

3. That which engages; engrossing occupation; employment of the attention; obligation by pledge, promise, or contract; an enterprise embarked in; as, his engagements prevented his acceptance of any office. Religion, which is the chief engagement of our league. Milton.

4. (Mil.)

Definition: An action; a fight; a battle. In hot engagement with the Moors. Dryden.

5. (Mach.)

Definition: The state of being in gear; as, one part of a clutch is brought into engagement with the other part.

Syn.

– Vocation; business; employment; occupation; promise; stipulation; betrothal; word; battle; combat; fight; contest; conflict. See Battle.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition