1 [count] : an agreement to be married : the act of becoming engaged or the state of being engaged to be married
▪ The couple recently announced their engagement. ▪ She surprised everyone by breaking off her yearlong engagement. — often used before another noun ▪ We're invited to their engagement party. ▪ an engagement ring 2 [count] a : a promise to meet or be present at a particular place and time
▪ He was forced to decline due to a previous engagement. [=commitment, appointment] ▪ We have a dinner engagement this weekend.
b : a job as a performer
▪ She's been offered several speaking engagements. 3 : the act or state of being involved with something : involvement [singular] ▪ his lifelong engagement with politics [noncount] ▪ a lack of emotional engagement 4 : a fight between military forces [count] ▪ a naval engagement [noncount] ▪ the rules of engagement 5 [noncount] formal : the act of hiring someone to do work or to perform a service
▪ engagement of a lawyer 6 [noncount] : the act or result of moving a mechanism or part of a machine so that it fits into another part
▪ engagement of the gears/clutch