nexus

IPA/ˈneksəs/
KK[nˈɛksəs]IPA/ˈneksəs/

nexus — noun

  • nexussingular
  • nexusesplural

1. the key link that ties several people, events, or areas together so they affect

1.nounC1
Definition

the key link that ties several people, events, or areas together so they affect one another.

Example

Reporters found a clear nexus between the factory fires and illegal dumping.

nexus between + cause and result

The app became the nexus linking parents, teachers, and students during the storm.

nexus linking + groups

Common collocations
  • clear nexus
  • nexus between A and B
  • trace a nexus
  • direct nexus
Synonyms
  • connection

    broader and more neutral than the formal word 'nexus'

  • link

    simpler everyday word for a relation between two things

  • tie

    often used for social, business, or political relations

Antonyms
  • disconnect

    shows that the two sides do not join or affect each other

  • separation

    stresses distance instead of connection

Grammar Patterns

the nexus between + A + and + B

a nexus linking + people/things

Usage Note

Often follows between ... and ... or linking ... to .... Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 names the connection itself, while sense 2 names the whole set of linked parts.

Common Mistakes

The report showed a nexus of the fire and the waste site.
The report showed a nexus between the fire and the waste site.
This sense usually links two sides with 'between'.

2. a set of linked people, events, or ideas that forms one whole pattern.

2.nounC1
Definition

a set of linked people, events, or ideas that forms one whole pattern.

Example

The case exposed a nexus of officials, builders, and gang leaders.

a nexus of + groups

Her research maps the nexus of rivers, roads, and small market towns.

Common collocations
  • nexus of interests
  • criminal nexus
  • complex nexus
  • urban nexus
Synonyms
  • network

    common choice for a system of linked people or things

  • web

    stresses many crossing links, often in a complex situation

  • cluster

    focuses on items gathered closely together, not on the links themselves

Antonyms
  • isolation

    describes parts that stay apart instead of forming a linked whole

  • single unit

    suggests one item rather than a connected set

Grammar Patterns

a nexus of + people/things

sit within + a nexus of + linked elements

Usage Note

Usually followed by 'of' when naming the people or forces inside the group. Unlike sense 1, it refers to the whole cluster, not just the link between two sides.

Common Mistakes

The village was a nexus between farms, roads, and shops.
The village was a nexus of farms, roads, and shops.
This sense usually names the full group with 'of'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Nexus' is more formal than 'connection' or 'link' and often appears when several areas meet, such as law, trade, or public health. A 'connection' can be any relation, even a simple one, while a 'link' often points to one direct joining point in a chain. A 'network' is different again: it names the whole system of connected people or things, not only the joining relation. So you can talk about a nexus between pollution and illness, but a network of clinics across a city. Compare: 'investigators found a nexus between the fires and the waste company,' 'there is a connection between stress and sleep,' 'one weak link broke the chain,' and 'the charity built a network of local volunteers.'

nexus ↗connection ↗link ↗network ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • at the nexus of
  • nexus between A and B
  • nexus of interests

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

'Nexus' came into English from Latin 'nexus', a noun built from a verb meaning 'to bind or tie'. The older image is of things being fastened together, and that idea still shows in the modern word. Today it can name either the joining link itself or the larger set of connected parts.