connection

[kuh-nek-shuhn]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR connection ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or state of connecting.

the state of being connected: the connection between cause and effect.

anything that connects; a connecting part; link; bond: an electrical connection.

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

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

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.

contextual relation; context, as of a word.

the meeting of trains, planes, etc., for transfer of passengers: There are good connections between buses in Chicago.

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

a specific vehicle, airplane, ship, etc., boarded in making connections: My connection for Hartford is the 10:58.

a relative, especially by marriage or distant blood relationship.

Slang. a person who sells drugs directly to addicts.

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.

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

Usually connections. associates, relations, acquaintances, or friends, especially representing or having some influence or power: European connections; good connections in Congress.

a religious denomination: the Methodist connection.

a channel of communication: a bad telephone connection.

sexual intercourse.

Also British, con·nex·ion.

Origin of connection

1350–1400; variant spelling of connexion; Middle English conneccioun, connexioun (< Middle French) < Latin connexiōn- (stem of connexiō), equivalent to connex(us) (past participle of connectere to connect) + -iōn- -ion

Related formscon·nec·tion·al, adjectivemis·con·nec·tion, nounpre·con·nec·tion, nounre·con·nec·tion, noun

Synonyms for connection

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR connection ON THESAURUS.COM

1. junction, conjunction, union. 3. tie, coupling, yoke. 5. affiliation, alliance. 11. relation.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for connection

contact, relation, network, hookup, affiliation, link, attachment, tie, conjunction, linkage, relationship, communication, partnership, application, correlation, acquaintance, associate, mentor, kindred, kin

Examples from the Web for connection

Contemporary Examples of connection

But sources said that the evidence so far is pointing away from an ISIS connection.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre
Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef
January 8, 2015
It was original in how it treated Nixon and his connection to the right before 1968.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society
Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch
January 4, 2015
Rural churches were deserted, and the connection between the land and the bounty of harvests was gone.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas
Clive Irving
December 22, 2014
He stated—quite rightly—that animals are never mentioned in connection with eternal life in the Bible.
Sorry, Internet: Pope Francis Didn't Open Paradise to Pets
Candida Moss
December 14, 2014
Nine U.S. Army soldiers were court-martialed and convicted of crimes in connection with that scandal.
Why the Muslim World Isn’t Flipping Out Over the CIA Torture Report
Dean Obeidallah
December 12, 2014

Historical Examples of connection

I recur to it here as a plausible suggestion only, in connection with my theme.
'Tis Sixty Years Since
Charles Francis Adams
There was nothing mercenary in his connection with politics.
Biographical Sketches
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The smile grew in the short interval before the connection was made.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
The names of this phallic deity show his connection with the Sun.
The Non-Christian Cross
John Denham Parsons
What connection exists between the sixth and seventh petitions?
An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism
Joseph Stump

British Dictionary definitions for connection

connection

connexion

noun

the act or state of connecting; union

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

a relationship or association

logical sequence in thought or expression; coherence

the relation of a word or phrase to its contextin this connection the word has no political significance

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

a relative, esp if distant and related by marriage

an opportunity to transfer from one train, bus, aircraft, ship, etc, to another
the vehicle, aircraft, etc, scheduled to provide such an opportunity

(plural) NZ the persons owning or controlling a racehorse

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

a communications link between two points, esp by telephone

slang a supplier of illegal drugs, such as heroin

rare sexual intercourse

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

Derived Formsconnectional or connexional, adjective

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

Word Origin and History for connection

late 14c., conneccion, later connexioun (mid-15c.), from Old French connexion, from Latin connexionem (nominative connexio) "a binding or joining together," from *connexare, frequentative of conectere "to fasten together, to tie, join together," from com- "together" (see com-) + nectere "to bind, tie" (see nexus).

Spelling shifted from connexion to connection (especially in American English) mid-18c. under influence of connect, abetted by affection, direction, etc.

connection in Medicine

connection

[kə-nĕk′shən]

n.

The act of connecting or the state of being connected.

Something that connects.