connection

American  

[kuh-nek-shuhn] / kəˈnɛk ʃən /

British, connexion

noun

connections plural

1. the act or state of connecting.

   Synonyms:

   union, conjunction, junction

2. the state of being connected.

   the connection between cause and effect.

3. anything that connects; a connecting part; link; bond.

   an electrical connection.

   Synonyms:

   yoke, coupling, tie

4. association; relationship.

   the connection between crime and poverty; no connection with any other firm of the same name.

5. a circle of friends or associates or a member of such a circle.

   Synonyms:

   alliance, affiliation

6. association with or development of something observed, imagined, discussed, etc..

   to make a connection between the smell of smoke and the presence of fire; I have a few thoughts in connection with your last remarks.

7. contextual relation; context, as of a word.

8. the meeting of trains, planes, etc., for transfer of passengers.

   There are good connections between buses in Chicago.

9. Often connections a transfer by a passenger from one conveyance to another.

   to miss connections.

10. a specific vehicle, airplane, ship, etc., boarded in making connections.

    My connection for Hartford is the 10:58.

11. a relative, especially by marriage or distant blood relationship.

    Synonyms:

    relation

12. Slang. a person who sells drugs directly to addicts.

13. a source of supply for goods, material, etc., that is scarce, difficult, or illegal to obtain.

    a connection to obtain guns and ammunition for the rebels.

14. a group of persons who are connected, as by political or religious ties.

15. Usually connections associates, relations, acquaintances, or friends, especially representing or having some influence or power.

    European connections; good connections in Congress.

16. a religious denomination.

    the Methodist connection.

17. a channel of communication.

    a bad telephone connection.

18. sexual intercourse.

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connection British  

/ kəˈnɛkʃən /

noun

1. the act or state of connecting; union

2. something that connects, joins, or relates; link or bond

3. a relationship or association

4. logical sequence in thought or expression; coherence

5. the relation of a word or phrase to its context

   in this connection the word has no political significance

6. (often plural) an acquaintance, esp one who is influential or has prestige

7. a relative, esp if distant and related by marriage

8. 1. an opportunity to transfer from one train, bus, aircraft, ship, etc, to another

   2. the vehicle, aircraft, etc, scheduled to provide such an opportunity

9. (plural) the persons owning or controlling a racehorse

10. a link, usually a wire or metallic strip, between two components in an electric circuit or system

11. a communications link between two points, esp by telephone

12. slang a supplier of illegal drugs, such as heroin

13. rare sexual intercourse

14. rare a small sect or religious group united by a body of distinct beliefs or practices

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misconnection
  noun
• preconnection
  noun
• reconnection
  noun
• connectional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• connections
  plural

Etymology

Origin of connection

First recorded in 1350–1400; variant spelling of connexion; Middle English conneccioun, connexioun, from Middle French, from Latin connexiōn-, stem of connexiō, equivalent to connex(us), past participle of connectere “to connect ” + -iō -ion

Explanation

The word connection is good for talking about the way things relate to each other. Your special connection to your cousin might have something to do with your mutual love for science fiction and barbecue. A connection can be physical, like the leash that provides the connection between you and your German shepherd, or emotional, like the connection you feel with your best friend. Any kind of direct relation is a connection as well, such as the connection a detective makes between a footprint at a crime scene and a suspect's favorite pair of shoes. The root is the Latin connexionem, "a binding or joining together."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

connection connections

To further investigate the possible connection between periodontal disease and CAVS, the research team has already launched a clinical study in people.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

A few years ago, Ubisoft announced they were shutting down “The Crew,” a 2014 racing game that requires a constant internet connection despite being mainly a single-player game.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

Devon and Cornwall Police added they are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death, following the arrest of a 28-year-old white British man in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Saturday.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

The connection between these parallel stories establishes a mystery that Mr. Kracht toys with but does not clarify.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

“The whole reason I have it is because of Ama’s connection to Asase. And it’s gone.”

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

“You start making your own luck, you start forging your own connections and making it happen.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

In the early 1970s, Stephen Hawking and other researchers discovered surprising connections between the laws of thermodynamics, which describe familiar processes such as heating water on a stove, and the behavior of black holes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

But in Kenya, one often also needs connections and money to "buy" a first job, which they lacked.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Those connections often endured despite political disagreements at home.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

My connections with Maddie and Sahil were so different, but equally strong.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• affiliation
• attachment
• conjunction
• hookup
• link
• linkage
• network
• tie