different between engagement vs onset

English

Etymology

From French engagement.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n??e?d??.m?nt/
• Hyphenation: en?gage?ment

Noun

engagement (countable and uncountable, plural engagements)

1. (countable) An appointment, especially to speak or perform.

   The lecturer has three speaking engagements this week.

2. (uncountable) Connection or attachment.

   Check the gears for full engagement before turning the handle.

3. (uncountable, by extension, about human emotional state) The feeling of being compelled, drawn in, connected to what is happening, interested in what will happen next.
4. (countable, uncountable) The period of time when marriage is planned or promised.

   We are enjoying a long engagement, but haven't yet set a date.

5. (countable, uncountable) In any situation of conflict, an actual instance of active hostilities.

   The engagement resulted in many casualties.

6. (fencing, countable) The point at which the fencers are close enough to join blades, or to make an effective attack during an encounter.

   After engagement it quickly became clear which of the fencers was going to prevail.

Synonyms

• commitment
• action

Antonyms

• apathy

• disengagement

Derived terms

• engagement ring
• disengagement

Related terms

• engage

Translations

See also

• battle
• campaign

References

French

Etymology

engager +? -ment.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.?a?.m??/

Noun

engagement m (plural engagements)

1. commitment
2. engagement

Further reading

• “engagement” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

engagement m (plural engagements)

1. (Jersey) engagement

English

Etymology

From on- +? set. Compare Old English onsettan (“to impose; oppress, bear down”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??n?s?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??n?s?t/
• (US, cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /??n?s?t/

Noun

onset (plural onsets)

1. (archaic) An attack; an assault especially of an army.

   Synonym: storming

   • 1800, William Wordsworth, Six thousand Veterans

     Who on that day the word of onset gave.

2. (medicine) The initial phase of a disease or condition, in which symptoms first become apparent.

3. (phonology) The initial portion of a syllable, preceding the syllable nucleus.

   Synonym: anlaut

   Antonym: coda

   Coordinate terms: nucleus, coda, rime

   Holonym: syllable

4. (acoustics) The beginning of a musical note or other sound, in which the amplitude rises from zero to an initial peak.
5. A setting about; a beginning.

   Synonyms: start, beginning; see also Thesaurus:beginning

   • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Delays

     There is surely no greater wisdom than well to time the beginnings and onsets of things.
6. (obsolete) Anything added, such as an ornament or as a useful appendage.
   • 1592, William Shakespeare , Titus Andronicus, Act 1, Scene 1

     And will with deeds requite thy gentleness:

     And, for an onset, Titus, to advance

     Thy name and honourable family,

     Lavinia will I make my empress.

Translations

Verb

onset (third-person singular simple present onsets, present participle onsetting, simple past and past participle onset)

1. (obsolete) To assault; to set upon.
2. (obsolete) To set about; to begin.

References

• onset in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• 'onest, ETNOs, Eston, SONET, Stone, notes, onest, set on, seton, steno, steno-, stone, tones