linked

American  

[lingkt] / lɪŋkt /

adjective

1. joined together; connected.

   The five linked rings on the Olympic flag are said to represent the continents of Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.

   With your bank card you can access all your linked accounts from an ATM.

2. closely associated or correlated.

   The research deals with the linked issues of sedentary work and obesity.

3. provided with or reached by means of a hyperlink.

   You can register online by clicking on the linked seminar title.

   Links on our website should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the linked sites.

4. made up of links.

   The photo shows refugees waiting behind a linked fence.

5. Genetics. (of genes) exhibiting linkage, with the effect that the traits determined by the genes are inherited together as a unit.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of link.

Other Word Forms

• well-linked
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of linked

First recorded in 1400–50 for literal sense; late Middle English; link ¹, -ed ² for adjective senses; link ¹, -ed ¹ for verb sense

Explanation

To be linked is to be connected as if by links in a chain. If you walk arm and arm with a friend, you may appear linked. Linked, as an adjective, describes things that are connected either physically or mentally. Linked train cars are attached to one another. Two ideas that follow one another in a logical chain can also said to be linked — swimming and getting wet are inexorably linked.

Example Sentences

That RNA copy is then translated into amino acids, which are linked together to form proteins and other functional molecules.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

The departure of Wright, who served as selector for more than three years, was a personal decision and not linked to the loss in Australia.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

It builds up deep inside the abdomen and surrounds internal organs, and it has been strongly linked to serious conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

Increased Treasury bill sizes are linked to higher outflows expected at the end of May as more debt matures.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Genes reside on chromosomes—long, filamentous structures buried within cells that contain tens of thousands of genes linked together in chains.*

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• associated
• related