con ‧ nec ‧ tion S3 W2 /kəˈnekʃ ə n/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ connection , ↑ connectedness , ↑ connector ; verb : ↑ connect ≠ ↑ disconnect ; adjective : ↑ connected ≠ ↑ disconnected ≠ ↑ unconnected ]
1 . RELATIONSHIP [countable] the way in which two facts, ideas, events etc are related to each other, and one is affected or caused by the other SYN link
connection between
the causal connection between smoking and cancer
There is a connection between pollution and the death of trees.
connection with
Mr O'Hara had no known connection with terrorist activity.
connection to
Williams apparently has no connection to the case.
Police have so far failed to establish a connection between the two murders.
The evidence was there in the file but no one made the connection.
Students often see little connection between school and the rest of their lives.
He demonstrated the close connection between social conditions and health.
2 . JOINING [uncountable and countable] when two or more things are joined together or when something is joined to a larger system or network:
a digital telephone connection via satellite
They’re offering free Internet connection.
connection to
The socket allows connection to a PC.
There’s a £25 connection charge (=money you pay to be connected to a service such as telephones, electricity etc) .
3 . in connection with something concerning or involving something
arrest/charge/question etc somebody in connection with a crime
Two men have been arrested in connection with the attack.
visits made to Spain in connection with her business
his work in connection with refugees
4 . ELECTRICAL WIRE [countable] a wire or piece of metal joining two parts of a machine or electrical system:
an electrical connection
There’s a loose connection (=wires which are not joined correctly) .
5 . TRAIN/FLIGHT ETC [countable] a train, bus, or plane which is arranged to leave at a time that allows passengers from an earlier train, bus, or plane to use it to continue their journey
connection to
If this train gets delayed we’ll miss our connection to Paris.
6 . ROAD/RAILWAY ETC [countable] a road, railway etc that joins two places and allows people to travel between them:
Cheshunt has good rail connections to London.
7 . PEOPLE connections [plural]
a) people who you know who can help you, especially because they are in positions of power:
connections in high places
We have good connections in the advertising industry.
b) people who are related to you, but not very closely:
He is English, but has Irish connections.
the network of family connections in Italy
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a connection (with/to something)
A lot of social problems have a direct connection to alcohol or drug use.
▪ see a connection
It's easy to see a connection between stress and illness.
▪ make a connection
In learning to read, children make a connection between a written sign and a known sound or word.
▪ establish a connection (=show that there is one)
Scientists have attempted to establish a connection between these two theories.
▪ discover/find a connection
This is the first official investigation to find a connection.
▪ something suggests a connection
There is nothing to suggest a connection between the hospital food and the illness.
▪ break a connection (=stop it existing)
We must break the connection between money and politics.
▪ sever a connection (=break it)
We cannot sever our connection with the past.
■ adjectives
▪ a direct connection
Many people see a direct connection between these events.
▪ a close/strong connection
the close connection between maths and physics
▪ an intimate connection (=a very close connection)
There is an intimate connection between political liberty and economic freedom.
▪ a causal connection (=that causes or is caused by something else)
Psychologists have established a causal connection between behaviour and rewards.
▪ a clear/obvious connection
There is an obvious connection between this painting and his earlier works.
▪ a loose connection ( also a tenuous connection formal ) (=one that is not strong, close, or obvious)
There seemed to be only a loose connection between the questions and the answers.