engineer

noun

(by extension) A person professionally engaged in the technical design and construction of large-scale private and public works such as bridges, buildings, harbours, railways, roads, etc.; a civil engineer.

(by extension) Originally, a person engaged in designing, constructing, or maintaining engines or machinery; now (more generally), a person qualified or professionally engaged in any branch of engineering, or studying to do so.

(by extension) (US, firefighting) A person who drives or operates a fire engine (firefighting apparatus).

(by extension) (chiefly US, rail transport) A person who drives or operates a locomotive; a train driver.

(by extension) A person trained to operate an engine.

(military, also figuratively) A soldier engaged in designing or constructing military works for attack or defence, or other engineering works.

(by extension) Preceded by a qualifying word: a person who uses abilities or knowledge to manipulate events or people.

(by extension) (often derogatory) A person who formulates plots or schemes; a plotter, a schemer.

An honorific title given to engineers before their name.

(by extension) (chiefly historical) A person who operates a steam engine; specifically (nautical), a person employed to operate the steam engine in the engine room of a ship.

(military, also figuratively) (obsolete) A soldier in charge of operating a weapon; an artilleryman, a gunner.

verb

(transitive) To employ one's abilities and knowledge as an engineer to design, construct, and/or maintain (something, such as a machine or a structure), usually for industrial or public use.

(transitive) (specifically) To use genetic engineering to alter or construct (a DNA sequence), or to alter (an organism).

(transitive) To plan or achieve (a goal) by contrivance or guile; to finagle, to wangle.

(intransitive) To formulate plots or schemes; to plot, to scheme.

(intransitive) (rare) To work as an engineer.

Roots

gignogin- · Latin · produce, beget

Synonyms for engineer

techniciann architectn mechanicn metallurgistn sappern artificern motormann designern mastermindn engineman

Synonyms & related words for engineer

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of engineer — including technician, architect, mechanic, metallurgist, sapper, artificer. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to engineer

Explore words related to engineer — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include technologist, bioengineer, mechanician, machinist, geometrician, electrician, aeromechanic, programmer. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for engineer

Common synonyms for engineer include technician, architect, mechanic, metallurgist, sapper, artificer, motorman, designer — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does engineer come from?

The word engineer breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root gin-, from Latin gigno (“produce, beget”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.