Words often have multiple meanings. The “engineering” in “prompt engineering“ is like in “social engineering”. It’s a secondary, related but distinct meaning.

Words often have multiple meanings. The “engineering” in “prompt engineering“ is like in “social engineering”. It’s a secondary, related but distinct meaning. For example, Google defines the second meaning of "engineering" as: 2. the action of working _artfully_ to bring something about. "if not for his shrewd engineering, the election would have been lost" (https://www.google.com/search?q=define%3AEngineering https://www.google.com/search?q=define%3AEngineering) Merriam-Webster has: 3 : calculated manipulation or direction (as of behavior), giving the example of “social engineering” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engineering https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engineering) Random House has: 3. skillful or artful contrivance; maneuvering (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/engineering https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/enginee...) Webster's has: The act of maneuvering or managing. (https://www.yourdictionary.com/engineering https://www.yourdictionary.com/engineering) Look up “engineering” in almost any dictionary, and it will list something along those lines as one of the meanings of the word. It is a well-established, nontechnical meaning of “engineering”.