nexus

American  

[nek-suhs] / ˈnɛk səs /

noun

plural

nexuses, nexus

1. a means of connection; tie; link.

2. a connected series or group.

3. the core or center, as of a matter or situation.

4. Cell Biology. a specialized area of the cell membrane involved in intercellular communication and adhesion.

---

nexus British  

/ ˈnɛksəs /

noun

1. a means of connection between members of a group or things in a series; link; bond

2. a connected group or series

---

Etymology

Origin of nexus

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin nexus “a binding, joining, fastening,” noun use of past participle of nectere “to bind, join, tie”

Example Sentences

It has been the nexus of my social life for over 20 years, and is simply irreplaceable.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Ommen and other state commissioners stand watch at the nexus between those same private deals and a third source of investment dollars: Americans who buy life insurance policies and annuities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

However, Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran, from the FBI's San Antonio office, said there were indications in the SUV and on the suspect that suggested a "nexus to terrorism".

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

"It's a remarkable nexus: an ultra-modern technology being applied to a 2.6-million-year-old fossil to tell a story that is common to us all," Alemseged said.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

He never leaves his house, sees no one save Marie-Laure, and yet somehow he has found himself at the nexus of a web of information.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr