1. (

• battle ,
• conflict ,
• fight ,
• engagement ,

) a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement" ;

2. (

• date ,
• appointment ,
• engagement

) a meeting arranged in advance; "she asked how to avoid kissing at the end of a date" ;

3. (

• betrothal ,
• troth ,
• engagement

) a mutual promise to marry ;

4. (

• employment ,
• engagement ,

) the act of giving someone a job ;

5. (

• engagement ,
• booking ,

) employment for performers or performing groups that lasts for a limited period of time; "the play had bookings throughout the summer" ;

6. (

• engagement ,
• mesh ,
• meshing ,
• interlocking

) contact by fitting together; "the engagement of the clutch"; "the meshing of gears" ;

7. (

• engagement ,
• participation ,
• involvement ,
• involution ,

) the act of sharing in the activities of a group; "the teacher tried to increase his students' engagement in class activities" ;