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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.


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

    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

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

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

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

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

  12. rare sexual intercourse

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing connection

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Five other men were arrested on Sunday 27 September near the base in the connection with the incident and were subsequently released on police bail.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Social isolation is an objective measure of the quantity of social connection in behavior, while loneliness is a subjective measure of a person’s emotional dissatisfaction with the quality of their relationships.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

The researchers also found a strong connection between wasp occupation and human-altered environments.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Iñárritu reduces our connection to art to a distraction.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Ben’s Internet connection came and went, as did his cell phone reception.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Since then, Congress has weighed different proposals to fund research into loneliness and support programs to encourage social connections.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Among low-income pregnant individuals, the approach was linked to better postpartum health care and stronger connections to primary care that continued well beyond childbirth.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Data centre developers are particularly attracted to London because of the capital's dense concentration of businesses, financial services and internet connections.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Global connection came with a kind of dispersion, diluting shared connections closer to home while allowing for worldwide discovery.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

There is power in words used accurately and well, and tragedy and missed train connections in words used carelessly.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

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