link

The word “link” means to join two or more things together, or to show a connection between them. In plain terms, to connect things, or a connection itself — from a ring in a chain to a clickable web address.

“Link” is pronounced LIHNGK (/ˈlɪŋk/ in IPA).

Here is “link” used in a sentence: “Researchers linked the disease to poor water quality.”

Words with a similar meaning to “link” include attach, join, put together, band, bond and nexus.

The opposite of “link” — its antonyms — are break and gap.

Depending on how it is used, “link” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “link” comes from Old English. From Middle English linke, going back to Old English and Old Norse words for a ring or chain loop, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "bendable.".

“Link” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Link and connect overlap heavily and are often interchangeable. Connect is the broader, more physical word — wires connect, roads connect towns. Link often stresses a chain-like or logical relationship, joining items into a series or showing how one thing relates to another, as when researchers link a cause to an effect.

A chain links its rings by looping each one through the next. In writing, a footnote links a statement to its source. Online, a hyperlink connects one page to another with a single click. In each case, linking creates a join or a clear relationship between separate parts.

The opposite of link is to separate, disconnect, or detach — to break the join or connection between things. If linking shows that two events are related, then the opposite is to show they are unrelated, independent, or have nothing to do with each other.