something that binds, fastens, confines, or holds together.
a cord, rope, band, or ligament.
something that binds a person or persons to a certain circumstance or line of behavior.
the bond of matrimony.
something, as an agreement or friendship, that unites individuals or peoples into a group; covenant.
the bond between nations.
binding security; firm assurance.
My word is my bond.
a sealed instrument under which a person, corporation, or government guarantees to pay a stated sum of money on or before a specified day.
any written obligation under seal.
Law. a written promise of a surety.
Government. the state of dutiable goods stored without payment of duties or taxes until withdrawn.
goods in bond.
Also called bonded whiskey. a whiskey that has been aged at least four years in a bonded warehouse before bottling.
Finance. a certificate of ownership of a specified portion of a debt due to be paid by a government or corporation to an individual holder and usually bearing a fixed rate of interest.
Insurance.
a surety agreement.
the money deposited, or the promissory arrangement entered into, under any such agreement.
a substance that causes particles to adhere; binder.
adhesion between two substances or objects, as concrete and reinforcing strands.
Also called chemical bond. Chemistry. the attraction between atoms in a molecule or crystalline structure.
Masonry.
any of various arrangements of bricks, stones, etc., having a regular pattern and intended to increase the strength or enhance the appearance of a construction.
the overlap of bricks, stones, etc., in a construction so as to increase its strength.
Electricity. an electric conductor placed between adjacent metal parts within a structure, as in a railroad track, aircraft, or house, to prevent the accumulation of static electricity.
Obsolete. bondsman.
to put (goods, an employee, official, etc.) on or under bond.
The company refused to bond a former criminal.
to connect or bind.
Finance. to place a bonded debt on or secure a debt by bonds; mortgage.
to join (two materials).
Masonry. to lay (bricks, stones, etc.) so as to produce a strong construction.
Electricity. to provide with a bond.
to bond a railroad track.
to establish a close emotional relationship to or with (another).
the special period when a mother bonds to her infant.
to hold together or cohere, from or as from being bonded, as bricks in a wall or particles in a mass.
Psychology, Animal Behavior. to establish a bonding.
Carrie (Minetta) Carrie Jacobs-Bond, 1862–1946, U.S. songwriter and author.
Julian, 1940–2015, U.S. civil rights leader and politician.
something that binds, fastens, or holds together, such as a chain or rope
(often plural) something that brings or holds people together; tie
a bond of friendship
(plural) something that restrains or imprisons; captivity or imprisonment
something that governs behaviour; obligation; duty
a written or spoken agreement, esp a promise
marriage bond
adhesive quality or strength
finance a certificate of debt issued in order to raise funds. It carries a fixed rate of interest and is repayable with or without security at a specified future date
law a written acknowledgment of an obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract
insurance a policy guaranteeing payment of a stated sum to an employer in compensation for financial losses incurred through illegal or unauthorized acts of an employee
any of various arrangements of bricks or stones in a wall in which they overlap so as to provide strength
See chemical bond
See bond paper
commerce deposited in a bonded warehouse
(also intr) to hold or be held together, as by a rope or an adhesive; bind; connect
aeronautics to join (metallic parts of an aircraft) together such that they are electrically interconnected
to put or hold (goods) in bond
law to place under bond
finance to issue bonds on; mortgage
to arrange (bricks, etc) in a bond
A force of attraction that holds atoms or ions together in a molecule or crystal. Bonds are usually created by a transfer or sharing of one or more electrons. There are single, double, and triple bonds.
See also coordinate bond covalent bond ionic bond metallic bond polar bond
What is a basic definition of bond? A bond is something that binds or fastens things together, something that unites people, or an attraction between atoms in a molecule. Bond has many other senses as a noun and a verb. Bond can refer to anything that holds or links things together. For example, glue is commonly used as a bond to make things stick to each other. Bond is often used in the plural when referring to things like shackles or handcuffs that bind multiple parts of the body. In this sense, bond is often used figuratively to refer to things that bind or restrict a person’s liberty or freedom.
Bond, link, tie agree in referring to a force or influence that unites people. Bond, however, usually emphasizes the strong and enduring quality of affection, whereas tie may refer more especially to duty, obligation, or responsibility: bonds of memory; Blessed be the tie that binds; family ties. A link is a definite connection, though a slighter one; it may indicate affection or merely some traceable influence or desultory communication: a close link between friends.
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun bond, band, bound; variant of band 3
First recorded before 1050; Middle English bonde, bande, bounde “tenant farmer, villager,” Old English bonda “husband, head of a household,” from Old Norse bōndi “farmer, peasant,” contraction of unattested bōande, variant of būande, cognate with Old English būend “dweller,” equivalent to bū(an) “to dwell” + -end noun suffix, as in fiend, friend; see also boor, husbandman
You and your best friend have a bond that allows you to trust each other with all your thoughts and secrets. A bond is a connection between two things. Bond can refer to a physical or emotional restraint as in a prisoner who might tear off his bonds and escape to freedom. If you are arrested, your parents will have to pay a bond to get you released from jail. If you don't show up to court, they will lose that money. A certificate of debt issued by a government or corporation is also called a bond. When you cash in the bond on a set date, you get your money back plus interest. In its meaning of "connection," bond can be used as a verb. Have you ever met someone and felt an instant connection? You can say that you bonded.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
EU chief Antonio Costa congratulated Burnham on taking up the job, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz invited him to visit Berlin to mark "the deep bond between us".
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
As part of the proposed package, Combs offered the Star Island mansion as security, along with his mother’s Miami home, to cover the remaining $2 million needed for the $50 million bond.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
They first spent time in Belgium forming a bond before making the journey to Hampshire together.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
In spite of the characters’ separate upbringing, Miyamoto still wanted to convey their bond in her vocal performance.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Some crafty bond market person had gazed upon the subprime mortgage sprawl, as an ambitious real estate developer might gaze upon Oakland, and found an opportunity to rebrand some of the turf.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Corporate Bond Index around $8 trillion in size, the corporate debt sector is expected to finance the bulk of the AI financing need.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
He said: "We went creeping around the grounds of this military base using ultrasound detectors to try to hear the male cicadas singing, so it did feel a bit James Bond."
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Bond traders Wednesday sold off Treasurys in response, pushing the 10-year yield to 4.567%, its highest level since May.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Ahmed created, wrote and produced this limited series about a struggling actor whose life is upended when rumors circulate he might be the next James Bond.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Bond salesmen could say and do anything without fear that they’d be reported to some authority.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
BlackRock bought more than $3 billion of the bonds in that deal last year, The Wall Street Journal earlier reported.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Their extraordinary durability comes from highly stable carbon-fluorine bonds, which are among the strongest bonds found in organic chemistry.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
The Board of Education authorized the sale of $750 million in bonds to settle hundreds of cases dating back decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Some have suggested, external this could be paid for by the Treasury issuing special "war bonds", to avoid the need to raise taxes or cut spending elsewhere.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Astonishingly, the prices of subprime mortgage bonds were rising.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
"Covalently bonded carbon and hydrogen in comet and asteroid material are believed to have formed in the outer envelopes of stars, in high-energy events like supernovae, and in interstellar environments," Ms. Losurdo said.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
They bonded over a shared disgust at gladiator shoes, and soon thereafter, were in a relationship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
"We had this amazing experience that weekend, obviously, and the choir has bonded really well," said Hugh.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
"We immediately bonded as soon as we found out that we were assigned to this mission," Parmitano said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
It was never just art that bonded Emery and me as friends.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
But what makes this latest bonding so compelling is that it wasn’t designed by the government.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
This type of bonding is far more common in nonmetals than in metals.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
BE Semiconductor stock tumbled after a report said that some of the Dutch group’s main customers are delaying uptake of its advanced hybrid bonding technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Unity, to make a long story longer, was in the air that year — and not just because my separated parents were bonding over their juvenile delinquent son.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
The warrior bonding with him was no guarantee he would escape banishment, but it was something that could not be easily ignored.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
