Standard Lemma guide

nexus

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈnɛksəs/
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛksəs
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈnɛksuːs/
  • General-American: /ˈnɛksus/
  • CMU ARPABET: N EH1 K S AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A form or state of connection.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bond, junction, link, tie, combination, composite, conjunction, fusion, juncture, melding, merger, unification, union, unity, band, connection, nexus, vinculum

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A form or state of connection.

The relationship between a vendor and a jurisdiction for the purpose of taxation, established for example by the vendor operating a physical store in that jurisdiction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, countable, uncountable

Topics: business, finance, law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bond, junction, link, tie, combination, composite, conjunction, fusion, juncture, melding, merger, unification, union, unity, band, connection, nexus, vinculum

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A connected group; a network, a web.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A centre or focus of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hub, junction

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

In the work of the Danish linguist Otto Jespersen (1860–1943): a group of words expressing two concepts in one unit (such as a clause or sentence).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A person who had contracted a nexum or obligation of such a kind that, if they failed to pay, their creditor could compel them to work as a servant until the debt was paid; an indentured servant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ancient-Rome, countable, historical, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

a connected series or group

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: series

8

noun

Meaning 8

the means of connection between things linked in series

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: link

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: linkage

History

Etymology

From Latin nexus (“connection, nexus; act of binding, tying or fastening together; something which binds, binding, bond, fastening, joint; legal obligation”), from nectō (“to attach, bind, connect, fasten, tie; to interweave; to relate; to unite; to bind by obligation, make liable, oblige; to compose, contrive, devise, produce”, supine stem nex-) + -tus (suffix forming verbal nouns).

Across languages

Translations

85 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: връзка (vrǎzka) — form or state of connection
  • Bulgarian: свързване (svǎrzvane) — form or state of connection
  • Catalan: nexe — form or state of connection
  • Chinese Mandarin: 連結 /连结 (liánjié) — form or state of connection
  • Czech: nexus — form or state of connection
  • Czech: souvislost — form or state of connection
  • Czech: spojení — form or state of connection
  • Danish: bindeled — form or state of connection
  • Danish: forbindelse — form or state of connection
  • Danish: sammenhæng — form or state of connection
  • Dutch: band — form or state of connection
  • Dutch: verbinding — form or state of connection
  • Estonian: seos — form or state of connection
  • Finnish: yhteys — form or state of connection
  • French: nexus — form or state of connection
  • French: lien — form or state of connection
  • Georgian: კავშირი (ḳavširi) — form or state of connection
  • German: Verbindung — form or state of connection
  • German: Verknüpfung — form or state of connection
  • Irish: nasc — form or state of connection
  • Italian: nesso — form or state of connection
  • Italian: connessione — form or state of connection
  • Italian: legame — form or state of connection
  • Japanese: 連結 (renketsu) — form or state of connection
  • Latin: nexus — form or state of connection
  • Occitan: nexe — form or state of connection
  • Polish: ogniwo — form or state of connection
  • Polish: związek — form or state of connection
  • Portuguese: nexo — form or state of connection
  • Russian: связь (svjazʹ) — form or state of connection
  • Serbo-Croatian: спо̑ј — form or state of connection
  • Serbo-Croatian: ве̏за — form or state of connection
  • Serbo-Croatian: spȏj — form or state of connection
  • Serbo-Croatian: vȅza — form or state of connection
  • Spanish: nexo — form or state of connection
  • Spanish: conexión — form or state of connection
  • Swedish: förbindelse — form or state of connection
  • Turkish: bağ — form or state of connection
  • Turkish: bağlantı — form or state of connection
  • Turkish: rabıta — form or state of connection
  • Ukrainian: зв'язо́к (zvʺjazók) — form or state of connection
  • Vietnamese: kết nối — form or state of connection
  • Armenian: կապված խումբ (kapvac xumb) — connected group — see also network
  • Armenian: շարք (šarkʻ) — connected group — see also network
  • Armenian: սերիա (seria) — connected group — see also network
  • Chinese Mandarin: 關聯 /关联 (guānlián) — connected group — see also network
  • Danish: gruppe — connected group — see also network
  • Danish: kæde — connected group — see also network
  • Danish: række — connected group — see also network
  • Finnish: ryhmä — connected group — see also network
  • German: Netzwerk — connected group — see also network
  • German: Verbindung — connected group — see also network
  • Italian: cose connesse (idee, concetti) — connected group — see also network
  • Japanese: 關聯 (kanren) — connected group — see also network
  • Polish: grupa — connected group — see also network
  • Polish: zespół — connected group — see also network
  • Portuguese: nexo — connected group — see also network
  • Russian: гру́ппа (grúppa) — connected group — see also network
  • Spanish: cuña — connected group — see also network
  • Spanish: enchufe — connected group — see also network
  • Spanish: junta — connected group — see also network
  • Spanish: vinculación — connected group — see also network
  • Spanish: vínculo — connected group — see also network
  • Turkish: ekip — connected group — see also network
  • Turkish: grup — connected group — see also network
  • Turkish: takım — connected group — see also network
  • Turkish: topluluk — connected group — see also network
  • Ukrainian: група (hrupa) — connected group — see also network
  • Bulgarian: средище (središte) — centre or focus of something
  • Catalan: centre — centre or focus of something
  • Danish: nexus — centre or focus of something
  • Danish: schankel — centre or focus of something
  • Estonian: kese — centre or focus of something
  • Finnish: keskus — centre or focus of something
  • German: Kern — centre or focus of something
  • German: Zentrum — centre or focus of something
  • Italian: centro — centre or focus of something
  • Portuguese: centro — centre or focus of something
  • Serbo-Croatian: spoj — centre or focus of something
  • Serbo-Croatian: це̏нтар — centre or focus of something
  • Serbo-Croatian: сре̏дӣште — centre or focus of something
  • Serbo-Croatian: cȅntar — centre or focus of something
  • Serbo-Croatian: srȅdīšte — centre or focus of something
  • Spanish: centro — centre or focus of something
  • Turkish: merkez — centre or focus of something
Real reading context

nexus in complete knowledge articles