engage

¹

[ en-geyj ]

verb (used with object)

, en·gaged, en·gag·ing.

1. to occupy the attention or efforts of (a person or persons):

   He engaged her in conversation.

   Synonyms: involve, interest, engross, absorb

2. to secure for aid, employment, use, etc.; hire:

   to engage a worker;

   to engage a room.

   Antonyms: discharge

3. to attract and hold fast:

   The novel engaged her attention and interest.

4. to attract or please:

   His good nature engages everyone.

5. to bind, as by pledge, promise, contract, or oath; make liable:

   He engaged himself to repay his debt within a month.

6. to betroth (usually used in the passive):

   They were engaged last week.

7. to bring (troops) into conflict; enter into conflict with:

   Our army engaged the enemy.

8. Mechanics. to cause (gears or the like) to become interlocked; interlock with.

   Antonyms: release

9. to attach or secure.
10. Obsolete. to entangle or involve.

verb (used without object)

, en·gaged, en·gag·ing.

1. to occupy oneself; become involved:

   to engage in business or politics.

2. to take employment:

   She engaged in her mother's business.

3. to pledge one's word; assume an obligation:

   I was unwilling to engage on such terms.

4. to cross weapons; enter into conflict:

   The armies engaged early in the morning.

5. Mechanics. (of gears or the like) to interlock.

engagé

²

[ French ahn-ga-zhey ]

adjective

1. choosing to involve oneself in or commit oneself to something:

   Some of the political activists grew less engagé as the years passed.

engagé

¹

/ ɑ̃ɡaʒe /

adjective

1. (of a writer or artist, esp a man) morally or politically committed to some ideology

engage

²

/ ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ /

verb

1. to secure the services of; employ
2. to secure for use; reserve

   engage a room

3. to involve (a person or his attention) intensely; engross; occupy
4. to attract (the affection) of (a person)

   her innocence engaged him

5. to draw (somebody) into conversation
6. intr to take part; participate

   he engages in many sports

7. to promise (to do something)
8. also intr military to begin an action with (an enemy)
9. to bring (a mechanism) into operation

   he engaged the clutch

10. also intr to undergo or cause to undergo interlocking, as of the components of a driving mechanism, such as a gear train
11. machinery to locate (a locking device) in its operative position or to advance (a tool) into a workpiece to commence cutting

Derived Forms

• enˈgager, noun

Other Words From

• en·gager noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of engage¹

First recorded in 1515–25; from Middle French engager, Old French engagier; en- ¹( def ), gage ¹( def )

Origin of engage²

First recorded in 1950–55; from French: literally, “engaged”

Word History and Origins

Origin of engage¹

C15: from Old French engagier, from en- ¹+ gage a pledge, see gage ¹

Example Sentences

It could still fire rockets over the border and its fighters continued to engage Israel’s invasion force.

From BBC

"We will be making sure that anybody we manage to catch for engaging in this behaviour will be shown the full force of the law for their illegal activities," Ms Eagle continued.

From BBC

“Because Nick was so convincing and just so powerful in the way in which he was playing this role, you could see people were listening and engaged,” Kurzel adds.

From Los Angeles Times

Donald Trump and his agents also engaged in an expert campaign of disinformation and misinformation that demobilized key parts of the Democratic Party’s base and even pushed some of them to vote for Trump.

From Salon

But he says the free vote is "good for our politics" - allowing MPs to engage across party lines and creating space to think independently.

From BBC

Related Words

• arrest
• catch
• employ
• fascinate
• immerse
• interest
• involve
• join
• participate
• preoccupy
• undertake