# engage

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɪnˈɡeɪd͡ʒ/ · frequency rank #3,878

## Definitions
1. To interact socially.
2. To interact socially.
3. To interact socially.
4. To interact antagonistically.
5. To interact antagonistically.
6. To interact contractually.
7. To interact contractually.
8. To interact contractually.
9. To interact contractually.
10. To interact mechanically.
11. To interact mechanically.
12. To entangle.

## Etymology
From Middle English engagen, from Old French engagier (“to pledge, engage”), from Frankish *anwadjōn (“to pledge”), from Proto-Germanic *an-, *andi- + Proto-Germanic *wadjōną (“to pledge, secure”), from Proto-Germanic *wadją (“pledge, guarantee”), from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“to pledge, redeem a pledge; guarantee, bail”), equivalent to en- + gage. Cognate with Old English anwedd (“pledge, security”), Old English weddian (“to engage, covenant, undertake”), German wetten (“to bet, wager”), Icelandic veðja (“to wager”). More at wed.

## Easily confused with
- **engle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/engage-vs-engle)
- **engine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/engage-vs-engine)
- **engaged** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/engage-vs-engaged)
- **engages** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/engage-vs-engages)
- **enraged** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/engage-vs-enraged)
- **enlarge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/engage-vs-enlarge)
- **endgame** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/endgame-vs-engage)

## Common misspellings (8)
`egnage`, `enagge`, `engaeg`, `engagge`, `enggae`, `enggage`, `enngage`, `negage`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/engage