linkage

American  

[ling-kij] / ˈlɪŋ kɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act of linking; state or manner of being linked.

2. a system of links.

3. Genetics. an association between two or more genes on a chromosome that tends to cause the characteristics determined by these genes to be inherited as an inseparable unit.

4. Machinery. an assembly of four or more rods for transmitting motion, usually in the same plane or in parallel planes.

5. a factor or relationship that connects or ties one thing to another; link.

   Administration officials sought to establish linkage between grain sales and relaxed immigration laws.

6. any of various mathematical or drawing devices consisting of a combination of bars or pieces pivoted together so as to turn about one another, usually in parallel planes.

7. Electricity. flux linkage.

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linkage British  

/ ˈlɪŋkɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act of linking or the state of being linked

2. a system of interconnected levers or rods for transmitting or regulating the motion of a mechanism

3. electronics the product of the total number of lines of magnetic flux and the number of turns in a coil or circuit through which they pass

4. genetics the occurrence of two genes close together on the same chromosome so that they are unlikely to be separated during crossing over and tend to be inherited as a single unit

5. the fact of linking separate but related issues in the course of political negotiations

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Other Word Forms

• nonlinkage
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of linkage

First recorded in 1870–75; link ¹ + -age

Explanation

Linkage means "connection"––the act of linking or the fact of being linked––specifically the kind of connection where one thing follows the other, as if in a chain. A relatively new word (from the mid-19th century), linkage has a scientific or at least a technical ring to it, and it's often used in scientific or diplomatic contexts. In peace negotiations, there is usually a linkage between agreement to cease fire and the meeting of other demands. The connection by which genes travel together from one generation to the next is called linkage.

Example Sentences

Linkage has also been pitched as a means to avoid a new border tax the EU is planning to introduce on its imports of high-carbon products, such as steel and cement, from January 2026.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025

As part of an ARC Linkage project, Ma's team is continually developing their water batteries in collaboration with industry partner, GrapheneX, a tech innovator based in Sydney.

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2024

Linkage was his way of joining seemingly unrelated issues such as making economic relations with Moscow contingent on the Soviet Union using its influence on North Vietnam for policy concessions in the Vietnam War.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2023

Linkage analysis involves studying the recombination frequency between any two genes.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

It was interesting to me to note an abstract of W. A. Wolfe's paper "Analytical Design of an Ackermann Steering Linkage" in Mechanical Engineering, September 1958, vol.

From Kinematics of Mechanisms from the Time of Watt by Ferguson, Eugene S.

Related Words

• connection
• correlation
• interconnection
• interdependence
• link
• relationship
• similarity