en·gi·neer
ˌen-jə-ˈnir 
1
: a member of a military group devoted to engineering work
2
obsolete
: a crafty schemer : plotter
3
a
: a designer or builder of engines
b
: a person who is trained in or follows as a profession a branch of engineering
c
: a person who carries through an enterprise by skillful or artful contrivance
4
: a person who runs or supervises an engine or an apparatus
engineered; engineering; engineers
1
: to lay out, construct, or manage as an engineer
engineer a bridge
2
a
: to contrive or plan out usually with more or less subtle skill and craft
engineer a business deal
b
: to guide the course of
engineer a rally
3
: to modify or produce by genetic engineering
corn engineered to resist crop pests
Examples of engineer in a Sentence
Noun
Design engineers are working on ways to make the cars run more efficiently.
The engineer stopped the train.
Army engineers were called in to construct the canal.
Verb
The rebels engineered a successful attack.
the mayor engineered an agreement to have a major league team play in our city
Recent Examples on the Web
Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
The two Marines, both combat engineers, had been supporting Border Patrol units as part of Joint Task Force–Southern Border operations.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
These fabrics are engineered for thermal regulation, flexibility, and lightweight strength—perfect for transitional and colder months.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for engineer
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Noun
The race revealed that while bipedal locomotion technology has improved, issues like overheating, balance, and endurance remain significant challenges for robotics engineers.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
The two Marines, both combat engineers, had been supporting Border Patrol units as part of Joint Task Force–Southern Border operations.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
Engineers have spent more than a century attempting to engineer automatic transmissions that are smoother, faster, more efficient, and more convenient than a manual transmission.
—Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
These fabrics are engineered for thermal regulation, flexibility, and lightweight strength—perfect for transitional and colder months.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for engineer
Cite this Entry
“Engineer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engineer. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
engineer
1 of 2 noun
en·gi·neer
ˌen-jə-ˈni(ə)r
1
: a member of a military group devoted to engineering work
2
a
: a designer or builder of engines
b
: a person who is trained in or follows as a profession a branch of engineering
3
: a person who runs or supervises an engine or technical machinery
engineer
2 of 2 verb1
: to plan, build, or manage as an engineer
2
: to guide the course of
engineer a rally
Medical Definition
engineer
transitive verb
en·gi·neer
ˌen-jə-ˈni(ə)r
: to modify or produce by genetic engineering
insulin made by genetically engineered bacteria—Technical Survey
Technical SurveyLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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