engagement

noun

in-ˈgāj-mənt How to pronounce engagement (audio)
Definition of engagementnext
1
as in betrothal
the act or state of being engaged to be married the fun couple recently announced their engagement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appointment
an agreement to be present at a specified time and place a lifelong practice of marking all of my engagements on a weekly calendar

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in employment
the state of being provided with a paying job his engagement as a caddie at the golf club was his first work experience

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of engagement Williams is concerned that a message telling people to rely on technology for healthcare engagement would undermine the credibility of community health workers and health institutions in general. — Lisa Fitzpatrick, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 But the United Arab Emirates also shut down all trade and transactions with Iran earlier this month, cutting off a vital for engagement with the global economy. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 Yeah, my perspective would be to engage a multi-generational community across music, social, experiential, and other forms of engagement. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 Franco and Brie met at the 2011 Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans and announced their engagement in August 2015. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for engagement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for engagement
  1. betrothal
  2. appointment
  3. employment
  4. date
  5. employ
  6. rendezvous
Noun
  • When Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer publicly announced their betrothal in 1981, photos of her glittering sapphire engagement ring ricocheted across the globe.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
  • Singer Sam Smith is reportedly engaged to British designer Christian Cowan, according to a source who allegedly overheard the couple discussing their betrothal in the lobby of a Manhattan hotel.
    — Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Definition of betrothal
Noun
  • The announcement followed Tilbury’s 2022 appointment as the trust’s ambassador for enterprise and coincided with its 50th anniversary gala, held in New York.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • He was then succeeded by Jorg Schmadtke a year later, who was employed on a short-term basis ahead of Richard Hughes’s appointment in 2024.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of appointment
Noun
  • In fact, the breakeven rate of employment growth, or the number of net new jobs needed each month to keep the unemployment rate steady, actually went slightly negative during the summer and fall of 2025.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The proposal is part of Gates’ broader warning that governments need to prepare now for dramatic changes to employment brought on by AI.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of employment
Noun
  • Now, the musical has a date, with the show set to debut next August.
    — Jessica Barrett, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Style them with a blouse and heeled boots for work, and then swap in a pair of pumps for date night.
    — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of date
Noun
  • The landlord was the university, so the couple applied for the lease, vowing to open a lunch counter, support local farmers, employ students, and change up the menu weekly.
    — Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Last July, Kate’s longtime stylist Natasha Archer left the princess’s employ; no one has been hired to replace her.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 31 July 2026
Definition of employ
Noun
  • After the Opry rendezvous, Miller and Mascis headed over to Nashville hot spot the Vinyl Tap for an unplanned Neil Young tribute on the bar-slash-record shop’s small stage.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This intimate rendezvous of volunteers was part of Florida’s efforts the last couple years to update its science standards.
    — Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rendezvous

Browse Nearby Words

engage in conversation
engagement
engagements
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Engagement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/engagement. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on engagement

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about engagement

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gumption

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All