join
Americanverb (used with object)
-
joins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
joined,
past participle, past
-
joining
present participle
-
to bring in contact, connect, or bring or put together.
to join hands; to join pages with a staple.
- Synonyms:
- amalgamate, consolidate, associate, combine, conjoin, attach, fasten, couple, link
-
to come into contact or union with.
The brook joins the river.
-
to bring together in a particular relation or for a specific purpose, action, etc.; unite.
to join forces against the smugglers.
-
to become a member of (an organization, party, etc.).
to join a club.
-
to enlist in (one of the armed forces).
to join the Navy.
-
to come into the company of; meet or accompany.
I'll join you later.
-
to participate with (someone) in some act or activity.
My wife joins me in thanking you for the gift.
-
to unite in marriage.
-
to meet or engage in (battle, conflict, etc.).
The opposing armies joined battle.
-
to adjoin; meet.
His land joins mine.
-
to draw a curve or straight line between.
to join two points on a graph.
verb (used without object)
-
joins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
joined,
past participle, past
-
joining
present participle
-
to come into or be in contact or connection.
a place where cliffs and sea join.
-
to become united, associated, or combined; associate or ally oneself; participate (usually followed bywith ).
Please join with us in our campaign.
-
to take part with others (often followed byin ).
Let's all join in.
-
to be contiguous or close; lie or come together; form a junction.
Our farms join along the river.
-
to enlist in one of the armed forces (often followed byup ).
He joined up to fight for his country.
-
to meet in battle or conflict.
verb
-
to come or bring together; connect
-
to become a member of (a club, organization, etc)
-
to become associated or allied
-
to take part
-
(tr) to meet (someone) as a companion
-
(tr) to become part of; take a place in or with
-
(tr) to unite (two people) in marriage
-
(tr) geometry to connect with a straight line or a curve
-
(tr) an informal word for adjoin
-
to start fighting
-
to report for work after a period of leave or a strike
-
-
to hold one's own hands together
-
(of two people) to hold each other's hands
-
(usually foll by with) to work together in an enterprise or task
-
noun
-
a joint; seam
-
the act of joining
-
maths another name for union
Usage
What are other ways to say join?
To join is to bring in contact, connect, or bring together. How is join different from connect and unite? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
misjoinverb
-
unjoinverb
-
underjoinverb (used with object)
-
joinableadjective
-
unjoinableadjective
-
well-joinedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
joinsimple
-
joinssimple
-
have joinedperfect
-
has joinedperfect
-
am joiningprogressive
-
are joiningprogressive
-
is joiningprogressive
-
have been joiningperfect progressive
-
has been joiningperfect progressive
Past
-
joinedsimple
-
had joinedperfect
-
was joiningprogressive
-
were joiningprogressive
-
had been joiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of join
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English joinen, from Old French joign- (stem of joindre “to join”), from Latin jungere “to join”; see yoke 1 ( def. )
Explanation
To join is to connect, attach, or become a member of. You could join two puzzle pieces together or join the Girl Scouts; it's your choice. You can join two plastic tubes to make a long tunnel for your pet hamster, and you can also join a club — in other words, become a member or a part of the group. You can also join in with a song or join the staff of a swimming pool as a lifeguard. Join comes from the Old French word joindre, "connect or unite," from the Latin root iungere, "to join together, unite, or yoke."
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:
George Newcomb, GE HealthCare’s controller and chief accounting officer, stepped in as interim CFO last week after James Saccaro left to join Zoetis as chief financial and operating officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Hamilton, unimpressed, decided to look at his options, and signed to join Ferrari in 2025, telling Wolff in late January 2024, before the start of that season.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Juliet answers Jonathan’s summons to join him in questioning witnesses and potential suspects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Citizens living in the cheap seats cannot beat the plutocrats — but thanks to the stock market, we can join them.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
I wanted nothing more than to skip the recap of my one-second failure and join the crowd heading home.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Klitschko joins Panettiere’s co-stars and Hollywood peers in paying tribute to her life and career on social media.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Nominated by Tonga, the former foreign trade minister joins a growing field to become secretary-general of the international organization that has been buffeted by global divisions and budget issues.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
With the move, Schultz joins a growing list of billionaires who have relocated to Florida in recent months.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Nair joins from Lowe’s, where he was overseeing data and AI innovation at the hardware-store chain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Emma flips off the lights and joins me on the couch.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
When he saw the wave of migrants crossing in late July, he joined in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
After allowing his contract to run down at Celta Vigo, the defender has joined Crystal Palace on a free transfer, which might just prove to be one of the signings of the summer.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Born in Frankston, Texas in 1949, Beard joined ZZ Top in 1969 and followed the three-man band's progression from heavy blues to its experimental synthesizer sound of the 1980s.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Those priorities soon changed, however, and he was playing organized soccer before he entered kindergarten, then joined CF Montreal’s youth academy before he entered high school.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Almost dead through starvation over that long, cold winter, she somehow stayed alive long enough to get me and the boys to the end of the war before she joined her husband.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
In the four years since joining Cleveland, Watson has played in only 19 games.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
They also tend to produce sticky ends that are relatively short, which can reduce the efficiency of the joining process.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
In Botswana and South Africa, too, women are desperate for sons and husbands to return from a conflict many say they were duped into joining, as authorities warn recruiters are still active.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
McAidoo started out in Colchester's youth academy before joining Chelsea in 2019.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
I tried joining in, to forget about my terrible, awful, absurd idea, but when I sang, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” my voice splintered in my throat and came out a garbled, high-pitched mess.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
