conjugate

[ verb kon-juh-geyt; adjective, noun kon-juh-git, -geyt ]

/ verb ˈkɒn dʒəˌgeɪt; adjective, noun ˈkɒn dʒə gɪt, -ˌgeɪt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: conjugate / conjugable / conjugative on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), con·ju·gat·ed, con·ju·gat·ing.

Grammar.

to inflect (a verb).
to recite or display all or some subsets of the inflected forms of (a verb), in a fixed order: One conjugates the present tense of the verb “be” as “I am, you are, he is, we are, you are, they are.”

to join together, especially in marriage.

verb (used without object), con·ju·gat·ed, con·ju·gat·ing.

Biology. to unite; to undergo conjugation.

Grammar. to be characterized by conjugation: The Latin verb esse does not conjugate in the passive voice.

adjective

joined together, especially in a pair or pairs; coupled.

Botany. (of a pinnate leaf) having only one pair of leaflets.

Grammar. (of words) having a common derivation.

Bibliography. (of two leaves in a book) forming one sheet.

Mathematics.

(of two points, lines, etc.) so related as to be interchangeable in the enunciation of certain properties.
(of an element) so related to a second element of a group that there exists a third element of the group that, multiplying one element on the right and the other element on the left, results in equal elements.
(of two complex numbers) differing only in the sign of the imaginary part.

Chemistry.

of or noting two or more liquids in equilibrium with one another.
(of an acid and a base) related by the loss or gain of a proton: NH3 is a base conjugate to NH4+.NH4+ is an acid conjugate to NH3.
Also con·ju·gat·ed. (of an organic compound) containing two or more double bonds each separated from the other by a single bond.

noun

one of a group of conjugate words.

Mathematics.

either of two conjugate points, lines, etc.
Also called complex conjugate, conjugate complex number. either of a pair of complex numbers of the type a + bi and a − bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is imaginary.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON THE MANY TYPES OF NOUNS

They're everywhere you turn, but can you identify the 10 types of nouns easily? This quiz will test your mettle against singular, plural, concrete, abstract, common, proper, collective, compound, countable, and uncountable nouns!

Question 1 of 7

Shoelaces, rainbow, toothpaste, and haircuts are all what type of noun?

collective

compound

countable

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar Coach

Improve Your Writing

Origin of conjugate

1425–75; late Middle English (adj.) <Latin conjugātus (past participle of conjugāre to yoke together), equivalent to con-con- + jug(um) yoke¹ + -ātus-ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM conjugate

con·ju·ga·ble

[kon-juh-guh-buhl], /ˈkɒn dʒə gə bəl/, adjectivecon·ju·ga·bly, adverbcon·ju·ga·tive, adjectivecon·ju·ga·tor, noun

mis·con·ju·gate, verb, mis·con·ju·gat·ed, mis·con·ju·gat·ing.non·con·ju·gate, adjective, nounun·con·ju·gat·ed, adjective

Words nearby conjugate

conjoint, conjugal, conjugal rights, conjugant, conjugata, conjugate, conjugate acid-base pair, conjugate angles, conjugate axis, conjugated, conjugated double bond

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for conjugate

By far the most important of the conjugate sulphates and representative of the group is potassium indoxyl sulphate.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
I had an old maid English teacher when I was a boy who made us conjugate to like instead of the more intimate and tender word.
The Flockmaster of Poison Creek|George W. Ogden
When at last I dozed, in sheer exhaustion of mind and body, it became a vast shadowy verb which I had to conjugate.
Great Expectations|Charles Dickens
I warrant we shall smile some day at our present desperate straits, and meanwhile "to wait" is the verb we must conjugate.'
A German Pompadour|Marie Hay

When two ciliated infusoria conjugate they place themselves side by side, and connect for a time by means of a bridge of plasm.
The Wonders of Life|Ernst Haeckel

British Dictionary definitions for conjugate

conjugate

verb (ˈkɒndʒʊˌɡeɪt)

(tr) grammar to inflect (a verb) systematically; state or set out the conjugation of (a verb)

(intr) (of a verb) to undergo inflection according to a specific set of rules

(tr) to join (two or more substances) together, esp in such a way that the resulting substance may easily be turned back into its original components

(intr) biology to undergo conjugation

(tr) obsolete to join together, esp in marriage

adjective (ˈkɒndʒʊɡɪt, -ˌɡeɪt)

joined together in pairs; coupled

(Maths)

(of two angles) having a sum of 360°
(of two complex numbers) differing only in the sign of the imaginary part as 4 + 3i and 4 – 3i
(of two algebraic numbers) being roots of the same irreducible algebraic equation with rational coefficients3 ± 2 √2 are conjugate algebraic numbers, being roots of x² – 6 x + 1
(of two elements of a square matrix) interchanged when the rows and columns are interchanged
(of two arcs) forming a complete circle or other closed curved figure

chem of, denoting, or concerning the state of equilibrium in which two liquids can exist as two separate phases that are both solutions. The liquid that is the solute in one phase is the solvent in the other

another word for conjugated

chem (of acids and bases) related by loss or gain of a protonCl – is the conjugate base of HCl; HCl is the conjugate acid of Cl –

physics

joined by a reciprocal relationship, such as in the case of two quantities, points, etc, that are interchangeable with respect to the properties of each of them
(of points connected with a lens) having the property that an object placed at one point will produce an image at the other point

(of a compound leaf) having one pair of leaflets

(of words) cognate; related in origin

noun (ˈkɒndʒʊɡɪt)

one of a pair or set of conjugate substances, values, quantities, words, etc

Derived forms of conjugate

conjugable, adjectiveconjugately, adverbconjugateness, nounconjugative, adjective

conjugator, noun

Word Origin for conjugate

C15: from Latin conjugāre to join together, from com- together + jugāre to marry, connect, from jugum a yoke

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for conjugate

conjugate

[ kŏn′jə-gāt′ ]

v.

To undergo conjugation.

adj.

Joined together, especially in pairs.

Pertaining to an acid and a base that are related by the difference of a proton.

n.

A distance between the points on the periphery of the pelvic canal, especially the promontory of the sacrum and the upper edge of the pubic symphysis.anteroposterior diameter conjugate diameter conjugate of inlet internal conjugate true conjugate

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

conjugate

verb (used with object), con·ju·gat·ed, con·ju·gat·ing.