link

1.nounA2

Definition

a situation where different individuals, groups, or events are connected, so that one has an effect on the other

Example

Studies have shown a clear link between regular exercise and better mental health.

collocation: link between [X] and [Y]

The police are looking for a link between the two robberies last week.

collocation: find a link between

Common collocations

clear link
direct link
strong link
link between
link to

Synonyms

connection
broader and more general than 'link'; can be physical, social, or logical
tie
stronger and more personal, often used for family or social bonds
relationship
focuses on the way things affect each other; more formal than 'link'

Antonyms

disconnection
the state of not being linked or related

Grammar Patterns

link + between + plural noun

link + between + noun + and + noun

link + to + noun

Usage Note

Commonly appears in research and news contexts. The pattern 'link between X and Y' is the most frequent; 'link to Y' is also used when Y is the main focus.

Common Mistakes

There is a link of the two events.

There is a link between the two events.

Use 'between', not 'of', when referring to a mutual relationship.

2.nounA2

Definition

a clickable word, picture, or section of text on a web page or inside an email, which takes you to another page, website, or file when selected

Example

Click on the link at the bottom of the page to see the full report.

collocation: click on the link

Stephanie sent me a link to a short video about how to bake bread.

collocation: link to [something]

Common collocations

click on a link
a link to
include a link
broken link
active link

Synonyms

hyperlink
the more technical term for a clickable connection on the web
URL
refers specifically to the web address, not the clickable text or image

Grammar Patterns

link + to + noun

click on + link

Usage Note

In everyday speech, often shortened to just 'link'. 'Hyperlink' is the technical term but is less common in casual conversation.

Common Mistakes

I put a link of the recipe.

I put a link to the recipe.

Use 'to', not 'of', after 'link' when referring to a web address.

3.nounB1

Definition

one of the separate metal rings that are joined together to form a chain

Example

One link of the bicycle chain had rusted and needed to be replaced.

collocation: link of the chain

Each link in the necklace was made of silver and carefully polished by hand.

Common collocations

link of a chain
broken link
weak link

Synonyms

ring
more general; a link is a specific type of ring designed to connect with others
loop
focuses on the curved shape rather than the connecting function

Grammar Patterns

link + of + noun

Usage Note

Also used figuratively in fixed expressions: 'a link in the chain' (a stage in a process) and 'the weak link' (the most vulnerable part of a system).

Idioms

a link in the chain

idiom

One of the steps or parts that together form a process or argument.

Each department is a link in the chain of product development.

Did you consider every link in the chain before making a decision?

the weak link (in the chain)

idiom

The part of a system or group that is most likely to cause failure.

Our outdated server is the weak link in the company's network.

Who is the weak link in your team's defense strategy?

1.verbtransitiveA2

Definition

to show or suggest that several people, things, or situations relate to each other, particularly where one causes or affects the other

Example

Scientists have linked the outbreak of the disease to contaminated water supplies.

grammar: link [X] to [Y] for causal relationship

The study links higher levels of education with better job opportunities.

grammar: link [X] with [Y]

Common collocations

link to
link with
directly linked
closely linked
be linked to

Synonyms

connect
more general; can describe physical or logical relationships
associate
focuses on the mental connection between two ideas rather than a proven relationship
correlate
more technical and formal; used in statistics and research

Antonyms

separate
to show or prove that things are not connected

Grammar Patterns

link + noun + to + noun

link + noun + with + noun

be linked + to/with + noun

Usage Note

Often used in academic and journalistic writing. The passive construction ('X is linked to Y') is very common when the relationship is established by research rather than asserted by the speaker.

Common Mistakes

The study linked the disease with a virus' (when the virus is the cause).

The study linked the disease to a virus.

'Link to' is preferred for causal or evidential relationships; 'link with' suggests a looser association.

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1

Definition

to join two or more objects, places, or systems together using a physical connection such as a road, pipe, cable, or rope

Example

A new high-speed railway will link the capital with the coastal cities.

grammar: link [place] with [place] for physical connection

The two buildings are linked by a glass walkway on the third floor.

passive: be linked by [physical structure]

Common collocations

link to
link with
link together
be linked by

Synonyms

connect
more general; can describe both physical and non-physical joining
join
suggests bringing two separate things into contact or unity
attach
focuses on fastening one thing to another, often with a physical fastener

Antonyms

disconnect
to separate things that were previously joined
detach
to remove one thing from another

Grammar Patterns

link + noun + to/with + noun

link + plural noun + together

Usage Note

When a person is the subject, the object is typically two or more physical items being joined. When a thing is the subject, the verb describes the existing connection between places or structures.

Common Mistakes

The bridge links New York and New Jersey together' (redundant).

The bridge links New York and New Jersey.

'Together' is optional and only needed for emphasis.

3.verbtransitiveA2

Definition

to create a connection from one electronic document, web page, or social media post to another, so that users can go to the other one by clicking

Example

You can link your YouTube channel to your personal website.

grammar: link [account] to [website]

The article links to a government report that contains the original data.

grammar: link to [source]

Common collocations

link to
link a document to
link an account to

Synonyms

embed
to place a link or file directly into a document rather than just connecting to it
attach
to send a file with an email rather than creating a clickable link to it

Grammar Patterns

link + noun + to + noun

link + to + noun

Usage Note

The preposition 'to' is required when specifying the destination. Unlike verb sense 1, this sense does not use 'with' to introduce the target.

Common Mistakes

I linked the PDF with the email.

I linked the PDF to the email.

Use 'to', not 'with', when creating a hyperlink connection.

Phrasal verbs

link up

phrasal verb

to connect or join together, or to meet and work or spend time with someone

The two research teams linked up to share their findings and publish a joint paper.

Hamza linked up with his college friends for a hiking trip in the mountains.

Word family

linkage
nounC1
linked
adjectiveB2
linking
adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe some form of relationship between two or more things. A link suggests a discovered or established relationship — one that researchers or investigators have identified between facts, events, or people. It is the most common choice for academic and news contexts ('a link between diet and disease'). A connection is broader and more flexible; it can describe physical, social, or logical relationships and is the most general of the four. A tie implies a closer, often personal or emotional bond, as in 'family ties' or 'diplomatic ties between nations'. A bond is the strongest of the group — it suggests a deep, lasting connection built on shared experience or emotion, or a chemical bonding force. Use link for factual or causal relationships, connection for general use, tie for social or diplomatic relations, and bond for deep emotional or chemical attachments.

connection ↗link ↗tie ↗bond ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

link arms
link hands
link up

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'link' comes from the Old English 'hlenge' or 'hlence', which meant a ring of a chain. This original physical meaning is still alive today (a chain link). By the 1500s, the word had developed the broader sense of anything that connects or joins. The modern computing sense — a clickable connection between documents — emerged in the 1980s along with hypertext and became widespread on the World Wide Web in the 1990s.

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link

link — noun

1. a situation where different individuals, groups, or events are connected, so tha

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a clickable word, picture, or section of text on a web page or inside an email,

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. one of the separate metal rings that are joined together to form a chain

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

a link in the chain

the weak link (in the chain)

link — verb

1. to show or suggest that several people, things, or situations relate to each oth

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to join two or more objects, places, or systems together using a physical connec

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. to create a connection from one electronic document, web page, or social media p

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

link up

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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