From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishengagementen‧gage‧ment /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒmənt/ ●●○ noun 1 before marriage [countable]MARRY an agreement between two people to marry, or the period of time they are engagedengagement of/to Their engagement was announced in the paper. Tony was stunned when Lisa suddenly broke off their engagement (=finished it).engagement ring (=a ring that a man gives a woman to show that they are engaged)2 arrangement to do something [countable]BUSY/NOT AVAILABLE an official arrangement to do something, especially one that is related to your workofficial/public/royal etc engagement The princess will continue to carry out royal engagements. This is his only public speaking engagement on the tour. His excuse of a prior engagement was accepted.3 involvement [uncountable] when you become involved with someone or something in order to understand themengagement with/in a strategy of engagement and cooperation with China Many students pass without any real engagement in learning.4 PMFIGHTfighting [countable, uncountable] technical fighting between armies etc military rules of engagement5 employment [countable, uncountable] formal an official arrangement to employ or pay someone to do a particular job Please sign to indicate your acceptance of the terms of engagement.6 machine parts [uncountable]TE the fitting together of the working parts of a machineCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: an agreement between two people to marry, or the period of time they are engagedverbsannounce your engagement (=tell people about it)The couple are expected to announce their engagement today.break off your engagement (=suddenly end it)Were you surprised when Toni broke off your engagement?adjectiveslong (=a long period between getting engaged and getting married)Neither of them wanted a long engagement.shortThey were married last month after a short engagement.engagement + NOUNengagement ringJerry bought her a beautiful sapphire engagement ring. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: an official arrangement to do something, especially one that is related to your workverbshave an engagementI don't have any engagements tomorrow.carry out an engagementLast year, the princess carried out over 300 official engagements.cancel an engagementHe instructed his secretary to cancel all his engagements.adjectivesan official engagementThis is the prime minister's first official engagement since the elections.a public engagementShe appeared with her husband at many public engagements.an important engagementHe had an important engagement with his solicitor.a previous/prior engagement (=one that is already arranged)I'm sorry I can't be there, but I have a previous engagement.a speaking engagement (=one in which you give a speech)I've been turning down speaking engagements to concentrate on writing my memoirs.
Examples from the Corpus
engagement• Has he bought you an engagement ring yet?• It included a huge shot of her Cartier diamond and white-gold engagement ring.• Anita broke off her engagement when she found out that Paulo had been seeing another woman.• A full diary of engagements has been booked for the months ahead.• Mah Rana will design your wedding or engagement rings especially for you from around £95.• Woolworth's engagement rings, each a lump of glass as big as the Ritz.• The engagements used to go to the artists who brought them back the best presents from their tours abroad.• Glennis and John announced their engagement yesterday.• They've officially announced their engagement.• This engagement is yet another example of how well schools can work.engagement of/to• The active engagement of the learner in this process has been studied extensively under the title perception.• The New Testament is full of signs of the emotional engagement of its writers.• The announcement of her engagement to a man her parents hadn't even met had caused a storm.• His engagement to Nora Cushing had been the high point of her life.• It is, of course, better for both concerned if engagements of this kind can be avoided altogether.• The most important engagement of that first campaign was the fiercely contested battle at Freiburg against Bavarian forces.• Much was made at the time of the Prince's engagement of the youthfulness and consequent innocence of his bride.• Ministers are too overburdened with engagements to think out effectively what they want to do.official/public/royal etc engagement• The royal couple are rarely seen together outside official engagements.engagement with/in• But our fundamental mode of being is one of active engagement in the world.• Each can be the thread that connects children to an engagement with geography, history, and the like.• The Collector watched this brief engagement in the dazzling circle of crystal but could no longer understand it.• That direct engagement with the space may be compared with a slightly later work by Richard Serra.• Everyone has to put limits on their emotional engagement with others - comprehensive engagement would be intolerable.• Gramm also learned the rules of engagement in bare-knuckled Texas politics.• Agree the terms of the engagement in writing.• On the night of the murder they were celebrating their engagement with a party.rules of engagement• The result could be no more than a refinement of the 1993 rules of engagement.• The dateline doesn't alter the rules of engagement in the real world.• A simple act, maybe, but it changed the rules of engagement for ever.• Gramm also learned the rules of engagement in bare-knuckled Texas politics.terms of engagement• It is the case, of course, that terms of engagement for individual assignments will be agreed separately.• It is vital that this point is understood by all parties concerned and clearly set out in the terms of engagement letter.• The method of reporting back to the client should be specified in the terms of engagement letter.• A comprehensive check list for matters to be dealt with in the terms of engagement letter is set out in Section 03.• Your agreement to the terms of engagement contained in this letter will be confirmation of our right so to withdraw.From Longman Business Dictionaryengagementen‧gage‧ment /ɪnˈgeɪdʒmənt/ noun formal1[countable, uncountable]HUMAN RESOURCES when you arrange to employ someone or to pay someone to do something for youthe engagement of supply teachers by schools2[countable] an arrangement to meet someone or attend an eventthe Prime Minister’s official engagementsHe was unable to attend because of a prior engagement (=one already arranged).3without engagementCOMMERCE used to show that a price given by a seller can be changed 