linkage

American  

[ling-kij] / ˈlɪŋ kɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act of linking; state or manner of being linked.

2. a system of links.

3. Genetics. an association between two or more genes on a chromosome that tends to cause the characteristics determined by these genes to be inherited as an inseparable unit.

4. Machinery. an assembly of four or more rods for transmitting motion, usually in the same plane or in parallel planes.

5. a factor or relationship that connects or ties one thing to another; link.

   Administration officials sought to establish linkage between grain sales and relaxed immigration laws.

6. any of various mathematical or drawing devices consisting of a combination of bars or pieces pivoted together so as to turn about one another, usually in parallel planes.

7. Electricity. flux linkage.

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linkage British  

/ ˈlɪŋkɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act of linking or the state of being linked

2. a system of interconnected levers or rods for transmitting or regulating the motion of a mechanism

3. electronics the product of the total number of lines of magnetic flux and the number of turns in a coil or circuit through which they pass

4. genetics the occurrence of two genes close together on the same chromosome so that they are unlikely to be separated during crossing over and tend to be inherited as a single unit

5. the fact of linking separate but related issues in the course of political negotiations

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Other Word Forms

• nonlinkage
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of linkage

First recorded in 1870–75; link ¹ + -age

Explanation

Linkage means "connection"––the act of linking or the fact of being linked––specifically the kind of connection where one thing follows the other, as if in a chain. A relatively new word (from the mid-19th century), linkage has a scientific or at least a technical ring to it, and it's often used in scientific or diplomatic contexts. In peace negotiations, there is usually a linkage between agreement to cease fire and the meeting of other demands. The connection by which genes travel together from one generation to the next is called linkage.

Example Sentences

It said that there was "no consistent pattern of Western ownership linkage, suggesting that the current strike pattern reflects a campaign aimed at broad maritime disruption rather than selective vessel targeting".

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

Now that has changed, though I doubt Mr. Thiel would get past the door of the copyright office if he tried to coin the linkage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

In their refusal, New York officials directly challenged the linkage to the Supreme Court case cited by Trainor.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2025

Instead, due to their peculiar form of mechanical linkage, PCs exhibit intermittent dynamics, with occasional exchange of the two rings as they slip through each other, a pattern the authors of the paper call slip-tumbling.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2024

Mess Night was a testament of linkage, an evening that allowed for the lyrics of both form and ferocity.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• connection
• correlation
• interconnection
• interdependence
• link
• relationship
• similarity