engineering
noun
Simple meaning
The application of mathematics and the physical sciences to the needs of humanity and the development of technology.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ehnjuhnihringSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɛndʒəˈnɪɹɪŋ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
uncountable
The application of mathematics and the physical sciences to the needs of humanity and the development of technology.
A room (as on a ship) in which the engine is located
The area aboard a ship where the engine is located.
Actions controling the motion, shape, or substance of any physical object(s).
Designates the office area of the professional engineering staff.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The application of mathematics and the physical sciences to the needs of humanity and the development of technology.
Used this way, engineering is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a mathematical use: it is defined precisely and belongs to working with figures and calculations rather than to ordinary conversation.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Clinical and technical
- Usage feel
- Technical and specialized
Where it naturally appears
- Mathematics
- Geometry
- Academic writing
- Education/classroom
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use engineering
- “He had trouble deciding which branch of engineering to study.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A technical school offering instruction in many industrial arts and applied sciences.
The discipline dealing with the art or science of applying scientific knowledge to practical problems.
The activity of designing and constructing automobiles.
A bachelor's degree in engineering.
The branch of engineering that is concerned with the design and construction and operation of the plants and machinery used in industrial chemical processes.
The branch of engineering concerned with the design and construction of such public works as dams or bridges.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: application of mathematics and the physical sciences to the needs of humanity and the development of technology
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.