[en.gage.ment] n (1601) 1 a: an arrangement to meet or be present at a specified time and place "a dinner ~" b: a job or period of employment esp. as a performer
2: something that engages: pledge 3 a: the act of engaging: the state of being engaged b: emotional involvement or commitment "seesaws between obsessive ~ and ambiguous detachment --Gary Taylor" c: betrothal
4: the state of being in gear
5: a hostile encounter between military forces