conjugate

American  

[kon-juh-geyt, kon-juh-git, -geyt] / ˈkɒn dʒəˌgeɪt, ˈkɒn dʒə gɪt, -ˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

conjugated, conjugating

1. Grammar.

   1. to inflect (a verb).

   2. 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.”

2. to join together, especially in marriage.

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verb (used without object)

conjugated, conjugating

1. Biology. to unite; to undergo conjugation.

2. Grammar. to be characterized by conjugation.

   The Latin verb esse does not conjugate in the passive voice.

adjective

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

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

3. Grammar. (of words) having a common derivation.

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

5. Mathematics.

   1. (of two points, lines, etc.) so related as to be interchangeable in the enunciation of certain properties.

   2. (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.

   3. (of two complex numbers) differing only in the sign of the imaginary part.

6. Chemistry.

   1. of or noting two or more liquids in equilibrium with one another.

   2. (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.

   3. Also conjugated. (of an organic compound) containing two or more double bonds each separated from the other by a single bond.

noun

1. one of a group of conjugate words.

2. Mathematics.

   1. either of two conjugate points, lines, etc.

   2. Also called conjugate complex number.  Also called complex conjugate,.  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.

conjugate British  

verb

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

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

3. (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

4. (intr) biology to undergo conjugation

5. obsolete (tr) to join together, esp in marriage

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adjective

1. joined together in pairs; coupled

2. (Maths)

   1. (of two angles) having a sum of 360°

   2. (of two complex numbers) differing only in the sign of the imaginary part as 4 + 3i and 4 – 3i

   3. (of two algebraic numbers) being roots of the same irreducible algebraic equation with rational coefficients

      3 ± 2 √2 are conjugate algebraic numbers, being roots of x² – 6x + 1

   4. (of two elements of a square matrix) interchanged when the rows and columns are interchanged

   5. (of two arcs) forming a complete circle or other closed curved figure

3. 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

4. another word for conjugated

5. chem (of acids and bases) related by loss or gain of a proton

   Cl–is the conjugate base of HCl

   HCl is the conjugate acid of Cl–

6. physics

   1. 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

   2. (of points connected with a lens) having the property that an object placed at one point will produce an image at the other point

7. (of a compound leaf) having one pair of leaflets

8. (of words) cognate; related in origin

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• conjugable adjective
• conjugably adverb
• conjugately adverb
• conjugateness noun
• conjugative adjective
• conjugator noun
• misconjugate verb
• nonconjugate adjective
• unconjugated adjective

Etymology

Origin of conjugate

1425–75; late Middle English (adj.) < Latin conjugātus (past participle of conjugāre to yoke together), equivalent to con- con- + jug ( um ) yoke ¹ + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

Conjugate is what you do to a word to make it agree with other words in a sentence. If you’ve studied a foreign language, you know that sometimes you can conjugate a verb just by changing its endings. To conjugate the verb to be, you’d say “I am,” “you are,” “she is,” and so on. You’re changing the form of the verb to make it agree with the subject. You might conjugate other words to make them agree in number, gender, or tense. In chemistry, conjugate means "to join together." It can also be an adjective, meaning "joined," or "joined in pairs," like the conjugate leaf of an Oak tree.

Example Sentences

Imperfect trial results for its a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, VAX-24, in infants sent the stock spiraling by 46% on March 31 alone.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

Through the acquisition, Novartis is also gaining access to a new class of RNA therapeutics, called antibody oligonucleotide conjugate, with a platform that enables delivering RNA therapy to muscle, UBS says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

GalNAc conjugate therapies, which attach siRNA molecules to the ligand to deliver therapies inside cells, are already on the market for conditions such as hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2024

IVI just finished phase 1 trails for a conjugate vaccine in adults and is seeking funds for phase 2 studies in cholera-endemic regions.

From Science Magazine • Feb. 27, 2024

Instead I give her something paltry and useless: a verb to conjugate.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein