Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Not promised in marriage; not betrothed: Describes a person who is not formally committed to be married.
   • Not busy or occupied; free: Describes a person, time, or resource that is not currently involved in an activity or commitment.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective:
  • She continued seeing him but on an unengaged basis. (She maintained a relationship with him without a formal commitment to marry.)
  • The cancellation left her unengaged for a good part of the afternoon. (Because the appointment was canceled, she was free and not busy for much of the afternoon.)

Advanced Usage

• "unengaged seat": A seat that has not been reserved or taken.
  • Please take any unengaged seat in the waiting area. (Please sit in any seat that is not occupied or reserved.)
• "unengaged attention": Attention that is not focused on a specific task.
  • He listened with unengaged attention, his mind clearly elsewhere. (He listened without really focusing, as his thoughts were on other things.)

Variants and Related Words

• Engage (verb): To occupy, attract, or involve; to pledge or commit, especially to marry.
  • The company will engage a new consultant. (The company will hire a new consultant.)
  • They decided to engage after a long courtship. (They decided to get engaged after a long courtship.)
• Engaged (adjective): Busy, occupied; or formally pledged to be married.
  • The line is engaged. (The phone line is busy.)
  • They are an engaged couple. (They have formally promised to marry each other.)
• Disengaged (adjective): Emotionally detached or physically released from a connection.
  • He felt disengaged from the conversation. (He felt detached and not involved in the conversation.)

Synonyms

• Unattached: Not married or in a serious romantic relationship.
• Free: Not occupied or committed to an activity.
• Available: Able to be used or free to do something.
• Unoccupied: Not occupied or in use.

Antonyms

• Engaged: Busy; or formally pledged to marry.
• Betrothed: Formally engaged to be married.
• Occupied: Busy or in use.
• Committed: Pledged or bound to a cause, activity, or person.

Adjective

1. not promised in marriage
   • continued seeing him but on an unengaged basis
2. not busy or occupied; free
   • the cancellation left her unengaged a good part of the afternoon