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Dedito vs. impegnato

Word practice demo
While both words delineate a form of dedication, dedito and impegnato are rarely interchangeable. Dedito generally describes a habit, a total devotion, or even a vice (being given to something), whereas impegnato describes active effort, being busy, or having a social or political commitment.

Dedito

C1
This implies being devoted to a specific activity, passion, or vice. It comes from the verb dare (to give), suggesting one has given themselves over to something. It is almost always followed by the preposition a (to). It is essentially the only choice when discussing addictions or bad habits.
Era un padre amorevole e interamente dedito alla famiglia.
(He was a loving father and entirely devoted to his family.)
Purtroppo, il giovane era dedito al gioco d'azzardo.
(Unfortunately, the young man was given to gambling.)
Passava le sue giornate dedito allo studio della filosofia.
(He spent his days dedicated to the study of philosophy.)
Le truppe erano dedite al saccheggio dopo la battaglia.
(The troops were given to looting after the battle.)

Impegnato

A2
This word conveys the sense of being busy, occupied, or actively working on a task. It can also describe someone who is socially or politially conscientious (politically committed). Unlike dedito, it focuses on effort and time constraint rather than total absorption or habit.
Non posso risponderti ora perché sono molto impegnato.
(I cannot answer you now because I am very busy.)
Lei è un'attrice molto impegnata nel sociale.
(She is an actress who is very committed to social causes.)
Claudio è impegnato a riparare la sua auto.
(Claudio is busy repairing his car.)
Stiamo cercando studenti seri e impegnati per questo progetto.
(We are looking for serious and committed students for this project.)

Summary

Use dedito when describing a state of being devoted to a habit, passion, or vice (similar to addicted to or devoted to). Use impegnato when describing someone who is currently busy with a task, unavailable, or serious about a cause (similar to busy, engaged, or committed).