Mechanic vs. Engineer — What's the Difference?

A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery.

Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety and cost. The word engineer (Latin ingeniator) is derived from the Latin words ingeniare ("to create, generate, contrive, devise") and ingenium ("cleverness").

A worker skilled in making, using, or repairing machines, vehicles, and tools.

One who is trained or professionally engaged in a branch of engineering.

(archaic) mechanical; relating to the laws of motion in the art of constructing things

One who operates an engine.

(obsolete) Of or relating to a mechanic or artificer, or to the class of artisans; hence, rude; common; vulgar; base.

One who skillfully or shrewdly manages an enterprise.

A manual worker; a labourer or artisan.

To plan, construct, or manage as an engineer.

Someone who builds or repairs machinery, a technician; now specifically, someone who works with and repairs the mechanical parts of a motor vehicle, aircraft or similar.

To alter or produce by methods of genetic engineering

A device, command, or feature which allows someone to achieve a specific task.

To plan, manage, and bring about by skillful acts or contrivance

(slang) A hitman.

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

(gambling) A cheat who manipulates the cards or dice.

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

The art of the application of the laws of motion or force to construction.

(by extension)

A mechanician; an artisan; an artificer; one who practices any mechanic art; one skilled or employed in shaping and uniting materials, as wood, metal, etc., into any kind of structure, machine, or other object, requiring the use of tools, or instruments. Also, a technician who maintains or repairs machinery; as, an auto mechanic.

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.

Having to do with the application of the laws of motion in the art of constructing or making things; of or pertaining to mechanics; mechanical; as, the mechanic arts.

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.

Of or pertaining to a mechanic or artificer, or to the class of artisans; hence, rude; common; vulgar.

A person trained to operate an engine; an engineman.

Base.

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

A craftsman skilled in operating machine tools

A person who formulates plots or schemes; a plotter, a schemer.

Someone whose occupation is repairing and maintaining automobiles

(transitive)

Resembling the action of a machine;

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.

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

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

(intransitive)

To formulate plots or schemes; to plot, to scheme.

(rare) To work as an engineer.

One who manages as engine, particularly a steam engine; an engine driver.

One who carries through an enterprise by skillful or artful contrivance; an efficient manager.

To lay out or construct, as an engineer; to perform the work of an engineer on; as, to engineer a road.

To use contrivance and effort for; to guide the course of; to manage; as, to engineer a bill through Congress.

A person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems

The operator of a railway locomotive

Design as an engineer;

Plan and direct (a complex undertaking);