An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical, societal and commercial problems. Engineers design materials, structures, and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, regulation, safety, and cost. The word engineer is derived from the Latin words ingeniare ("to contrive, devise") and ingenium ("cleverness").
The work of engineers forms the link between scientific discoveries and their subsequent applications to human needs and quality of life.