connection
connection — noun
1. A relationship between two facts, events, or situations where one affects or rel
A relationship between two facts, events, or situations where one affects or relates to the other, such as the link between smoking and lung disease, or between childhood experiences and adult behaviour.
The police found a clear connection between the two thefts that happened last week.
connection between [noun] and [noun] — linking two events
Researchers have discovered a strong connection between regular exercise and better memory.
strong connection between [factor] and [outcome]
Iris could not see any connection between her comment and his angry reaction.
The study examined the connection between children's sleep and their school results.
connection between [noun] and [noun] — academic context
Scientists are studying the connection between air pollution and breathing problems in children.
- direct connection
- close connection
- strong connection
- clear connection
- possible connection
- obvious connection
- logical connection
- link
more informal; suggests a direct, often physical tie
- relationship
broader; can describe any kind of association between things
- correlation
more technical; implies a statistical or scientific association
- tie
suggests a strong or personal bond, often emotional
- disconnection
the state of being separate or unrelated
- gap
suggests a missing link or lack of relationship
Grammar Patterns
connection between [noun phrase] and [noun phrase]
connection with [noun phrase]
connection to [noun phrase]
Usage Note
Often used with the prepositions 'between' (connecting two equal items), 'with' (associating one item to another), or 'to' (linking one item to a broader context). Frequently appears in academic or investigative contexts.
Common Mistakes
2. Used in the fixed phrase 'in connection with' to show what subject or topic some
Used in the fixed phrase 'in connection with' to show what subject or topic something relates to — for example, a document in connection with a court case, or an arrest in connection with a crime.
The company will issue a formal statement in connection with the factory closure.
in connection with [topic] — formal phrasing
Two suspects were arrested in connection with the robbery at the city museum.
The lawyer asked to see all documents in connection with the property sale.
in connection with [legal/topic context]
Owen called a staff meeting in connection with the new safety rules in the factory.
The committee is reviewing evidence in connection with the water pollution case.
- in connection with
- arrested in connection with
- questioned in connection with
- documents in connection with
- statement in connection with
- regarding
less formal; works in everyday business writing
- concerning
similar formality; slightly more formal than 'regarding'
- relating to
more general; can replace 'in connection with' in most contexts
Grammar Patterns
in connection with [noun phrase]
Usage Note
This sense is used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'in connection with'. It is common in news reports, legal documents, and formal correspondence. The phrase always takes a noun phrase (not a clause) as its object.
Common Mistakes
3. People you know who are in a position to help you, give you useful information,
People you know who are in a position to help you, give you useful information, or open doors for you in your work or social life — for example, business connections, political connections, or family connections.
Manuela got the job through her father's business connections in the fashion industry.
business connections in [industry]
Khadija used her political connections to speed up the permit approval for the new building.
Building connections in the tech industry is essential for young software engineers.
building connections in [field] — verb + noun pattern
Sana's family connections helped her find an apartment in the crowded city centre.
The university has strong connections with research hospitals across the country.
strong connections with [organization] — institutional context
- business connections
- political connections
- family connections
- professional connections
- personal connections
- strong connections
- useful connections
- build connections
- use connections
- have connections
- contacts
more neutral; often used in professional contexts
- network
suggests a group of contacts that support each other
- associates
emphasises professional or work-based relationships
- outsider
someone without useful contacts or inside knowledge
Grammar Patterns
[possessive] connections in [field/industry]
[possessive] connections with [person/organization]
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the plural ('connections') in this sense. A single 'connection' usually refers to a specific person, but the plural form describes one's overall network. Frequently paired with 'business', 'political', 'family', or 'professional' as modifiers.
Common Mistakes
4. How two physical items are fitted together, or the part (such as a pipe fitting,
How two physical items are fitted together, or the part (such as a pipe fitting, wire terminal, or cable joint) that holds them in place or allows liquids, electricity, or signals to pass between them.
The plumber fixed the loose connection under the kitchen sink before it leaked again.
loose connection — typical adjective for physical join
Check the cable connection between the computer and the printer if it stops working.
A loose connection in the old wiring caused the kitchen lights to flicker all evening.
loose connection in [system] — describing electrical fault
Feng tightened the connection on the water pipe using a large metal wrench.
The connection point on the battery was covered in rust and needed to be cleaned.
- loose connection
- secure connection
- tight connection
- cable connection
- pipe connection
- wire connection
- electrical connection
- check the connection
- tighten the connection
- fix the connection
- disconnection
the act of separating physical parts
Grammar Patterns
[type] connection between [noun] and [noun]
[type] connection in/to [noun]
Usage Note
Common in technical and DIY contexts. Frequently appears with adjectives describing the quality of the join ('loose', 'secure', 'tight') followed by a prepositional phrase specifying the system ('in the wiring', 'on the pipe', 'between the cables').
Common Mistakes
5. The state or quality of a piece of electronic equipment (a laptop, phone, or tab
The state or quality of a piece of electronic equipment (a laptop, phone, or tablet) being linked to a network, especially the internet, so that you can access websites, send messages, or stream content.
The internet connection in the library is fast enough for video streaming.
internet connection — most common collocation
Alessia lost her Wi-Fi connection halfway through the important video call.
The hotel offers a free wireless connection in every room for its guests.
free wireless connection — common hospitality phrasing
Bilal's connection kept dropping while he tried to submit his assignment online.
You need a stable broadband connection to play multiplayer games without delay.
stable [type] connection — typical modifier pattern
- internet connection
- Wi-Fi connection
- broadband connection
- wireless connection
- network connection
- stable connection
- fast connection
- slow connection
- lose connection
- drop connection
- establish a connection
- disconnection
the state of being offline or cut off from the network
Grammar Patterns
[type] connection
[possessive] connection [verb]
connection to [network/service]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 7 (phone call connection) in the other chunk: this sense focuses on internet/data connectivity for devices, not voice calls between people. Frequently used with adjectives describing speed or reliability ('fast', 'stable', 'slow', 'unreliable').
Common Mistakes
6. A feeling of understanding, closeness, and natural sympathy between people, or b
A feeling of understanding, closeness, and natural sympathy between people, or between a person and a place, activity, or thing — for instance, feeling an instant bond with a new colleague, or a deep attachment to a childhood home.
I felt an immediate connection with the other students in my art class.
feel an immediate connection with [group] — emotional bond
The therapist established a strong connection with her young patient after several sessions.
Brian felt a deep connection to the old house the moment he stepped inside.
deep connection to [place] — emotional bond with inanimate subject
There was an instant connection between the two musicians when they first played together.
Many visitors feel a spiritual connection when they walk through the ancient forest.
- immediate connection
- instant connection
- deep connection
- strong connection
- emotional connection
- personal connection
- spiritual connection
- feel a connection
- establish a connection
- sense a connection
- distance
lack of closeness or emotional separation
- disconnect
a feeling of being out of touch or not understood
Grammar Patterns
connection with [person/thing]
connection between [person] and [person/thing]
feel a connection to [person/thing]
Usage Note
This sense describes an emotional or intuitive bond, not a logical relationship (sense 1) or a physical link (sense 4). Often used with 'immediate', 'instant', 'deep', or 'strong' as modifiers. The object of the feeling is introduced by 'with' (person) or 'to' (place or activity).
Common Mistakes
7. the state in which a working phone link exists between two devices, letting peop
the state in which a working phone link exists between two devices, letting people in separate locations communicate.
Charlotte tried to call her brother, but the connection was so bad she could barely hear him.
collocation: connection is bad / terrible / poor
We got cut off mid-sentence and had to dial again to restore the connection.
common pattern: restore / lose a connection
The train tunnel often causes a weak mobile connection for passengers underground.
Ayesha waited for the video connection to improve before starting her online meeting.
collocation: video / internet connection
Eli hung up and tried again because the connection kept dropping every few seconds.
Satellite phone connections can be unreliable during a heavy storm at sea.
- bad connection
- poor connection
- good connection
- strong connection
- lose the connection
- restore the connection
- video connection
- internet connection
- phone connection
Usage Note
Commonly used with adjectives describing quality: good, bad, poor, clear, weak, strong. Often appears in the pattern 'the connection + verb' (drops, fails, goes dead, improves).
Common Mistakes
8. a bus, train, or plane scheduled so that you can step off one vehicle and board
a bus, train, or plane scheduled so that you can step off one vehicle and board the next one to keep travelling toward your destination.
Niran missed his connection in Chicago and had to wait four hours for the next flight to Seattle.
common pattern: miss / catch a connection
The train arrives at platform 3, and the bus connection for Oxford Circus leaves from the station square.
Mira booked a flight with a tight connection — only forty minutes between landing and takeoff.
collocation: tight / close connection
If the first bus is late, we will lose our train connection and arrive home after midnight.
Sumin checked the departure board to confirm which gate her connection would leave from.
- miss a connection
- catch a connection
- make a connection
- tight connection
- direct connection
- train connection
- flight connection
- bus connection
Usage Note
Often used in travel contexts with verbs like 'catch,' 'miss,' 'make,' 'book.' The adjective 'tight' (short transfer time) or 'good' (comfortable transfer time) is common.
Common Mistakes
9. a route or service — for example a railway, bus line, airport, or road — that le
a route or service — for example a railway, bus line, airport, or road — that lets you move from one area to another.
The new high-speed railway provides a direct connection between Taipei and Kaohsiung.
collocation: direct connection between [places]
Daichi chose a hotel near the airport because of the convenient bus connection to the city centre.
The harbour now offers a ferry connection to several small islands that previously had no regular transport.
collocation: ferry / rail / road connection
Zayd checked whether there was a train connection from the airport to the mountain resort before booking his holiday.
Heloísa was happy to hear that the new subway line would offer a fast connection to the university district.
Rural villages often have poor road connections, making it hard for residents to reach hospitals and schools.
collocation: poor / good road connections
- direct connection
- rail connection
- road connection
- bus connection
- ferry connection
- connection between
- connection to
- poor connections
- good connections
Usage Note
Typically used with prepositions 'between' (link two places) or 'to' (direction toward a place). Can be countable ('a bus connection') or uncountable ('better road connection').
10. a person who is related to you, especially someone outside your immediate family
a person who is related to you, especially someone outside your immediate family such as a cousin, uncle, or in-law.
Baraka has distant connections in Canada whom he has never met in person.
collocation: distant / close / family connection
The wedding brought together all the family connections from both sides, including great-aunts and second cousins.
Eve discovered she had a connection to a famous writer when her grandmother showed her old family letters.
Madison's family reunion was huge because her grandmother had seven siblings, creating many connections across the country.
Through her mother's side, Ayesha has Irish connections that she hopes to explore on her next trip to Europe.
pattern: [nationality] + connections = relatives in that country
- distant connection
- family connection
- by marriage connection
- Irish connections
- family connections
- stranger
someone not related to you at all
Usage Note
Almost always appears in plural form ('connections') when referring to multiple relatives. Often modified by a nationality or place ('Irish connections,' 'family connections in Texas'). Distinguish from sense 1 (relationship/link), which can be abstract; sense 10 always refers to actual people.
Common Mistakes
11. a person who sells illegal drugs, especially one who supplies the same customers
a person who sells illegal drugs, especially one who supplies the same customers regularly.
The police arrested the man they believed was the main connection for heroin in the neighbourhood.
collocation: main connection + [drug name]
Detective Okafor spent months trying to identify the connection who supplied cocaine to the clubs.
In court, the dealer refused to name his connections higher up the chain.
The documentary showed how young people in the area were introduced to a connection at school.
usage: connection = informal term for drug supplier
Undercover officers used a known connection to arrange a meeting with the cartel's local distributor.
- main connection
- drug connection
- connection for [drug]
- use a connection
- find a connection
Usage Note
Strongly informal and associated with criminal slang. Not used in formal or academic writing. The term often implies a regular, ongoing supplier–customer relationship rather than a one-time sale.
Common Mistakes
Used to say that something is related to a particular person or thing.
The police questioned two witnesses in connection with the bank robbery.
We are meeting the lawyer in connection with our house sale.
Used to refer to something that was just mentioned or discussed.
The company is hiring new staff. In this connection, we need to update the website.
The report highlighted safety issues. In that connection, the manager ordered an inspection.
Word family
- connectverbB1
- connectedadjectiveB1
- connectivitynounB2
- connectornounB2
- disconnectverbB2
- disconnectedadjectiveB2
- disconnectionnounC1
- interconnectverbC1
- interconnectionnounC1
- connectiveadjectiveC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Connection is the broadest and most neutral of these words when describing how two things relate to each other. A link is often more direct or causal, as in the proven link between smoking and cancer, and works well in both abstract and physical contexts. Tie suggests a strong, often personal attachment (family ties, close ties to a community) and is warmer than connection. Relationship is the most general term for any kind of link between people, groups, or ideas (a working relationship, the relationship between stress and health) and is the best choice for describing ongoing interactions. Bond emphasises emotional closeness and mutual loyalty, often formed through shared experience, like the bond between teammates. Association can be neutral and factual (an association between diet and disease) or organisational (a professional association). Affiliation is the most formal of the group and typically signals official membership or institutional belonging. For everyday use: choose connection or link for factual links, relationship for interpersonal contexts, bond for emotional ties, and affiliation for official memberships.
Common collocations
Nouns
- network
- point
- line
- cable
- family
- business
- service
Adverbs
- directly
- closely
- strongly
- loosely
- securely
- intimately
Phrases
- make a connection
- establish a connection
- lose a connection
- build connections
- have connections
Prepositions
- between
- with
- to
- among
- through
Etymology
Connection comes from Latin connectere, a combination of con- ("together") and nectere ("to bind or tie"). It reached English through French as connexion in the 14th century. The modern spelling connection, based directly on the Latin root, became standard by the 18th century. The original image of things being tied together still unites its modern meanings.