engage

v., -gaged, -gag·ing, -gag·es.

v.tr.

1. To obtain or contract for the services of; employ: engage a carpenter.
2. To arrange for the use of; reserve: engage a room. See synonyms at book.
3. To pledge or promise, especially to marry.
4. To attract and hold the attention of; engross: a hobby that engaged her for hours at a time.
5. To win over or attract: His smile engages everyone he meets.
6. To draw into; involve: engage a shy person in conversation.
7. To require the use of; occupy: Studying engages most of my time.
8. To enter or bring into conflict with: We have engaged the enemy.
9. To interlock or cause to interlock; mesh: engage the automobile's clutch.
10. To give or take as security.

v.intr.

1. To involve oneself or become occupied; participate: engage in conversation.
2. To assume an obligation; agree.
3. To enter into conflict or battle: The armies engaged at dawn.
4. To become meshed or interlocked: The gears engaged.

[Middle English engagen, to pledge something as security for repayment of debt, from Old French engagier : en-, in; see en–¹ + gage, pledge, of Germanic origin.]

engager en·gag'er n.

verb

1. To obtain the use or services of: employ, hire, retain, take on. Idioms: put on the payroll. See get/lose, work/play.
2. To cause to be set aside, as for one's use, in advance: bespeak, book, reserve. See get/lose.
3. To assume an obligation: contract, pledge, promise, undertake. See agree/disagree, obligation.
4. To get and hold the attention of: involve, occupy. See excite/bore/interest.
5. To involve (someone) in an activity: draw in. See participate/abstain.
6. To involve oneself in (an activity): carry on, have, indulge, partake, participate. Idioms: take part. See participate/abstain.
7. To make busy: busy, employ, occupy. See action/inaction.
8. To cause to be busy or in use: monopolize, occupy, preempt, tie up. See action/inaction, used/unused.
9. To enter into conflict with: encounter, meet¹, take on. Idioms: dojoinbattle with. See conflict/cooperation, meet.
10. To come or bring together and interlock: mesh. See connect.

v

Definition: hire for job, use
Antonyms: banish, discharge, dismiss, eject, expel, fire, let go, oust, release

v

Definition: interconnect; bring into operation
Antonyms: cancel, defuse, disconnect

v

Definition: occupy oneself; engross
Antonyms: decline, refuse, reject, shun

v

Definition: promise to marry
Antonyms: break off, break up

v

Definition: start a fight; attack
Antonyms: give up, surrender, yield

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v. enter into conflict or combat with (an adversary).

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

To become involved with, do, or take part in something.

To be engaged in something, such as a type of employment, implies a continuity of action. It is used in reference to an occupation or anything in which an individual habitually participates.

A person can also be engaged to do a particular activity by contract or other agreement.

When two people become engaged to marry, they are bound together by an agreement or promise to marry one another.

(DOD, NATO) 1. In air defense, a fire control order used to direct or authorize units and/or weapon systems to fire on a designated target. See also cease engagement; hold fire. 2. (DOD only) To bring the enemy under fire.

IN BRIEF: To take part in. Also: To hire.

Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few engage in it. — Henry Ford (1863-1947).

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - ansætte, hyre, beskæftige, optage, tiltrække, binde, forpligte, bestille, tilkoble, indsætte i kamp, fæstne, krydse klinger
v. intr. - tilkobles, falde i hak, komme i kamp, deltage, indlade sig på, påtage sig

Nederlands (Dutch)
waarborgen, aantrekken, strikken, zich verplichten, iemand betrekken bij, boeien, iemand zich laten bezighouden met, de degens kruisen, beloven, in elkaar grijpen, zich bezighouden met, aanbinden, engageren, deelnemen, reserveren, verloven

Français (French)
v. tr. - engager, embaucher (des travailleurs), prendre (un avocat), réserver (une chambre) (arch), (fig) éveiller, retenir l'attention, (Mil) engager le combat avec, attaquer, (Tech) engager, mettre en prise, (Aut) engager (une vitesse), lier conversation avec
v. intr. - s'engager (à faire), (Tech) s'engrener, s'engager, se mettre en prise, s'enclencher (un écrou), se lancer dans (la politique), s'engager dans (la controverse)

Deutsch (German)
v. - engagieren, einstellen, in Anspruch nehmen, angreifen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - δεσμεύω/-ομαι (με συμβόλαιο κ.λπ.), αναλαμβάνω υποχρέωση (να), υπόσχομαι (να), προσλαμβάνω, απασχολώ, μνηστεύω/-ομαι, αρραβωνιάζω/-ομαι, καταπιάνομαι, καταγίνομαι, συμπλέκομαι, εμπλέκομαι (σε μάχη κ.λπ.), υπόσχομαι, εγγυώμαι, καταλαμβάνω ή απασχολώ (τηλεφωνική γραμμή κ.λπ.), αποσπώ, τραβώ (την προσοχή κ.λπ.), (τεχν.) συνδέω, (αυτοκ.) βάζω ταχύτητα

Italiano (Italian)
ingaggiare, assumere, riservare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - empenhar-se em uma atividade, requerer, contratar

Русский (Russian)
нанимать, заказывать, заниматься, участвовать, завладевать, гарантировать, обязываться, вступать в бой

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - entablar, trabar, contratar, reservar, alquilar
v. intr. - comprometerse, alquilarse, prometerse

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - anställa, engagera, reservera, deltaga i

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
使忙碌, 预定, 雇佣, 答应, 交战, 从事

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 使忙碌, 預定, 雇傭
v. intr. - 答應, 交戰, 從事

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 약속하다, 약혼시키다, 종사 시키다, 고용하다, 교전하다, 벽에 붙이다
v. intr. - 맹세하다, 종사하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 従事する, 雇う, 引き込む, 引きつける, 取る, 婚約させる, 予約する, 交戦する, 攻撃する, 約束する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يخطب فتاة, يتعهد ب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮העסיק, שילב, חיבר, התקיף, הזמין, שכר‬
v. intr. - ‮נכנס לקרב‬

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