noun

entanglement

in-TANG-guhl-muhnt

Entanglement (noun) means the state of being twisted together or caught up in something physical, or the tangled mass itself. Example: “Fishing gear entanglement kills thousands of whales each year.”

noun

The state of being twisted together or caught up in something physical, or the tangled mass itself.

"Fishing gear entanglement kills thousands of whales each year."

"Barbed wire entanglements ran the length of the trench."

often euphemistic A complicated or compromising involvement with someone or something, especially a romantic or sexual relationship that is difficult to get out of.

"He described the affair as an entanglement rather than a relationship."

"She avoided any entanglement with the family business."

technical In physics, a quantum effect in which two or more particles share a single combined state, so that measuring one instantly determines the corresponding property of the other however far apart they are.

"Quantum entanglement underpins the security of quantum key distribution."

"The pair remain in entanglement until one of them is measured."

How to use entanglement

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishGetting caught up in something messy, or in physics, two particles linked so that one instantly reflects the other.

Easily confused with

engagement → involvement → superposition tangle →

Common pairings

romantic entanglement foreign entanglements quantum entanglement entanglement in fishing gear

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Fishing gear _____ kills thousands of whales each year.

Etymology

From the verb 'entangle', formed from 'en-' (to put into) plus 'tangle', with the noun suffix '-ment'.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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tangle snarl knot involvement affair liaison complication quantum entanglement

Related words

thing problem interest event contact join function web

Rhymes for entanglement

cement element clement movement pavement tenement inclement abatement amusement statement agreement excrement

See all rhymes for entanglement →

Frequently asked questions

What does 'entanglement' mean when people use it about a relationship?

It is a softening word for an affair or an ill-advised romantic involvement, chosen because it suggests something messy and unintended rather than a deliberate relationship. It became widely used online after a celebrity interview in 2020 and is now often deployed jokingly.

Does quantum entanglement let you send messages faster than light?

No. Measuring one particle instantly fixes the state of its partner, but the outcome of each measurement is random, so nothing usable is transmitted. To learn anything, the two parties must compare notes over an ordinary channel limited by the speed of light.

What is the difference between entanglement and superposition?

Superposition describes a single system being in a combination of states at once. Entanglement describes two or more systems whose states cannot be described independently of each other, so that the pair has a definite joint state even when neither has a definite individual one.

What is the meaning of entanglement?

"entanglement" (noun) means the state of being twisted together or caught up in something physical, or the tangled mass itself.

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