connection

/kəˈnekʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /kəˈnekʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /kə-ˈnek-shən/ (ame, mw)

connection — 名詞

  • connectionsingular
  • connectionsplural

1. A relationship between two facts, events, or situations where one affects or rel

1.名詞B1
釋義

關聯；聯繫

事物之間相互影響的關係

A relationship between two facts, events, or situations where one affects or relates to the other, such as the link between smoking and lung disease, or between childhood experiences and adult behaviour.

例句

The police found a clear connection between the two thefts that happened last week.

警方發現上週發生的兩起竊案之間有明確的關聯。

connection between [noun] and [noun] — linking two events

Researchers have discovered a strong connection between regular exercise and better memory.

研究人員發現規律運動與較佳的記憶力之間有強烈關聯。

strong connection between [factor] and [outcome]

同義詞
  • link

    more informal; suggests a direct, often physical tie

  • relationship

    broader; can describe any kind of association between things

  • correlation

    more technical; implies a statistical or scientific association

  • tie

    suggests a strong or personal bond, often emotional

反義詞
  • disconnection

    the state of being separate or unrelated

  • gap

    suggests a missing link or lack of relationship

文法句型

connection between [noun phrase] and [noun phrase]

connection with [noun phrase]

connection to [noun phrase]

用法筆記

Often used with the prepositions 'between' (connecting two equal items), 'with' (associating one item to another), or 'to' (linking one item to a broader context). Frequently appears in academic or investigative contexts.

常見錯誤

❌There is a connection of smoking to cancer.
✅There is a connection between smoking and cancer.
💡Use 'between X and Y' when listing two items of equal weight.
❌I have a connection with this topic when I was young.
✅I have a connection to this topic because I studied it when I was young.
💡Use a reason clause instead of 'when'.

2. Used in the fixed phrase 'in connection with' to show what subject or topic some

2.名詞B1
釋義

關於；相關

用於表示主題或相關事項

Used in the fixed phrase 'in connection with' to show what subject or topic something relates to — for example, a document in connection with a court case, or an arrest in connection with a crime.

例句

The company will issue a formal statement in connection with the factory closure.

該公司將針對工廠關閉一事發布正式聲明。

in connection with [topic] — formal phrasing

Two suspects were arrested in connection with the robbery at the city museum.

兩名嫌犯因與市立博物館搶案有關而遭到逮捕。

同義詞
  • regarding

    less formal; works in everyday business writing

  • concerning

    similar formality; slightly more formal than 'regarding'

  • relating to

    more general; can replace 'in connection with' in most contexts

文法句型

in connection with [noun phrase]

用法筆記

This sense is used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'in connection with'. It is common in news reports, legal documents, and formal correspondence. The phrase always takes a noun phrase (not a clause) as its object.

常見錯誤

❌In connection of the accident, we need more information.
✅In connection with the accident, we need more information.
💡Always use 'with', never 'of'.
❌In connection to improve safety, new rules were made.
✅In connection with the safety improvements, new rules were made.
💡'With' must be followed by a noun phrase, not a verb.

3. People you know who are in a position to help you, give you useful information,

3.名詞B1
釋義

人脈；關係

對事業有幫助的人際網絡

People you know who are in a position to help you, give you useful information, or open doors for you in your work or social life — for example, business connections, political connections, or family connections.

例句

Manuela got the job through her father's business connections in the fashion industry.

Manuela 透過父親在時尚產業的人脈得到了這份工作。

business connections in [industry]

Khadija used her political connections to speed up the permit approval for the new building.

Khadija 運用政治關係加快了新建築的許可審批。

同義詞
  • contacts

    more neutral; often used in professional contexts

  • network

    suggests a group of contacts that support each other

  • associates

    emphasises professional or work-based relationships

反義詞
  • outsider

    someone without useful contacts or inside knowledge

文法句型

[possessive] connections in [field/industry]

[possessive] connections with [person/organization]

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the plural ('connections') in this sense. A single 'connection' usually refers to a specific person, but the plural form describes one's overall network. Frequently paired with 'business', 'political', 'family', or 'professional' as modifiers.

常見錯誤

❌I need to build more connection in this city.
✅I need to build more connections in this city.
💡Use the plural form when referring to your overall network of contacts.
❌She has a lot of connection.
✅She has a lot of connections.
💡'Connections' is the standard plural form for this sense.

4. How two physical items are fitted together, or the part (such as a pipe fitting,

4.名詞B1
釋義

連接；接頭

實體物件的相接處或零件

How two physical items are fitted together, or the part (such as a pipe fitting, wire terminal, or cable joint) that holds them in place or allows liquids, electricity, or signals to pass between them.

例句

The plumber fixed the loose connection under the kitchen sink before it leaked again.

水管工在漏水之前修好了廚房水槽下方鬆脫的接頭。

loose connection — typical adjective for physical join

Check the cable connection between the computer and the printer if it stops working.

如果印表機停止運作，請檢查電腦與印表機之間的傳輸線連接。

同義詞
  • joint

    more common for pipes or mechanical parts

  • link

    more general; can be physical or abstract

  • coupling

    technical term for joining two machine parts

反義詞

文法句型

[type] connection between [noun] and [noun]

[type] connection in/to [noun]

用法筆記

Common in technical and DIY contexts. Frequently appears with adjectives describing the quality of the join ('loose', 'secure', 'tight') followed by a prepositional phrase specifying the system ('in the wiring', 'on the pipe', 'between the cables').

常見錯誤

❌The connection of the two wires are broken.
✅The connection between the two wires is broken.
💡Use 'between' for the two items connected, and treat 'connection' as singular.
❌I need to connect the connection.
✅I need to fix the connection.' or 'I need to connect the wires.
💡Don't use 'connection' as the object of 'connect' in the same sentence.

5. The state or quality of a piece of electronic equipment (a laptop, phone, or tab

5.名詞B1
釋義

連線；接通

裝置連接網路或通訊系統的狀態

The state or quality of a piece of electronic equipment (a laptop, phone, or tablet) being linked to a network, especially the internet, so that you can access websites, send messages, or stream content.

例句

The internet connection in the library is fast enough for video streaming.

圖書館的網路連線速度很快，足夠用來串流影片。

internet connection — most common collocation

Alessia lost her Wi-Fi connection halfway through the important video call.

Alessia 在重要的視訊通話進行到一半時斷了 Wi-Fi 連線。

同義詞
  • link

    more informal; 'I have a bad link' is common in casual speech

  • access

    emphasises the ability to reach the network, not the quality of the link

反義詞
  • disconnection

    the state of being offline or cut off from the network

文法句型

[type] connection

[possessive] connection [verb]

connection to [network/service]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 7 (phone call connection) in the other chunk: this sense focuses on internet/data connectivity for devices, not voice calls between people. Frequently used with adjectives describing speed or reliability ('fast', 'stable', 'slow', 'unreliable').

常見錯誤

❌My connection is very slow today. I think the connection is bad.
✅My internet connection is very slow today. I think the signal is weak.
💡Be specific about what kind of connection you mean.
❌I have no connection.
✅I have no internet connection.
💡Add 'internet' to avoid confusion with other types of connection.

6. A feeling of understanding, closeness, and natural sympathy between people, or b

6.名詞B2
釋義

共鳴；契合

與他人或事物之間的情感認同

A feeling of understanding, closeness, and natural sympathy between people, or between a person and a place, activity, or thing — for instance, feeling an instant bond with a new colleague, or a deep attachment to a childhood home.

例句

I felt an immediate connection with the other students in my art class.

我對美術課上的其他同學產生了即時的共鳴。

feel an immediate connection with [group] — emotional bond

The therapist established a strong connection with her young patient after several sessions.

那位治療師經過幾次會談後與年輕病患建立了深厚的信任關係。

同義詞
  • bond

    suggests a stronger, more personal tie that is hard to break

  • rapport

    focuses on mutual understanding and trust in a relationship

  • affinity

    a natural liking for or attraction to someone or something

  • kinship

    suggests a deep, almost family-like bond

反義詞
  • distance

    lack of closeness or emotional separation

  • disconnect

    a feeling of being out of touch or not understood

文法句型

connection with [person/thing]

connection between [person] and [person/thing]

feel a connection to [person/thing]

用法筆記

This sense describes an emotional or intuitive bond, not a logical relationship (sense 1) or a physical link (sense 4). Often used with 'immediate', 'instant', 'deep', or 'strong' as modifiers. The object of the feeling is introduced by 'with' (person) or 'to' (place or activity).

常見錯誤

❌We had a connection about music.
✅We had a connection through our love of music.' or 'We connected over music.
💡Use 'through' or 'over' to explain the shared interest, not 'about'.
❌I feel connection to this song.
✅I feel a connection to this song.
💡The indefinite article 'a' is needed before 'connection' when it means a personal bond.

7. the state in which a working phone link exists between two devices, letting peop

7.名詞B1
釋義

通話

電話接通狀態

the state in which a working phone link exists between two devices, letting people in separate locations communicate.

例句

Charlotte tried to call her brother, but the connection was so bad she could barely hear him.

Charlotte 想打電話給哥哥，但通話品質太差，幾乎聽不到他的聲音。

collocation: connection is bad / terrible / poor

We got cut off mid-sentence and had to dial again to restore the connection.

我們話講到一半就斷線了，只好重新撥號恢復通話。

common pattern: restore / lose a connection

同義詞
  • line

    less common in modern usage; 'line' often refers to a physical telephone wire

  • signal

    focuses on the radio-wave quality rather than the end-to-end link

用法筆記

Commonly used with adjectives describing quality: good, bad, poor, clear, weak, strong. Often appears in the pattern 'the connection + verb' (drops, fails, goes dead, improves).

常見錯誤

❌I called you but the line was broken.
✅I called you but the connection was bad.
💡'broken line' is not idiomatic for a poor phone link; use 'bad/poor connection.'

8. a bus, train, or plane scheduled so that you can step off one vehicle and board

8.名詞B1
釋義

轉乘

轉乘的交通工具

a bus, train, or plane scheduled so that you can step off one vehicle and board the next one to keep travelling toward your destination.

例句

Niran missed his connection in Chicago and had to wait four hours for the next flight to Seattle.

Niran 在芝加哥錯過了轉機，只好等了四個小時才搭上下一班飛往西雅圖的飛機。

common pattern: miss / catch a connection

The train arrives at platform 3, and the bus connection for Oxford Circus leaves from the station square.

火車抵達第三月台，轉乘前往牛津圓環的公車則在車站廣場發車。

同義詞
  • transfer

    more common in American English, especially for flights

  • layover

    specifically refers to a waiting period between flights, not the flight itself

用法筆記

Often used in travel contexts with verbs like 'catch,' 'miss,' 'make,' 'book.' The adjective 'tight' (short transfer time) or 'good' (comfortable transfer time) is common.

常見錯誤

❌I need to change a connection at the airport.
✅I need to catch a connection at the airport.
💡'change' is used for trains but 'catch a connection' is standard for flights.

9. a route or service — for example a railway, bus line, airport, or road — that le

9.名詞B2
釋義

交通路線

往來兩地的運輸服務

a route or service — for example a railway, bus line, airport, or road — that lets you move from one area to another.

例句

The new high-speed railway provides a direct connection between Taipei and Kaohsiung.

新的高速鐵路提供了台北和高雄之間的直達交通。

collocation: direct connection between [places]

Daichi chose a hotel near the airport because of the convenient bus connection to the city centre.

Daichi 選了一家靠近機場的旅館，因為那裡有前往市中心的方便公車路線。

同義詞
  • link

    broader — can refer to roads, railways, or even communication channels

  • route

    emphasises the path taken rather than the availability of the service

  • service

    focuses on the scheduled transport operation itself

用法筆記

Typically used with prepositions 'between' (link two places) or 'to' (direction toward a place). Can be countable ('a bus connection') or uncountable ('better road connection').

10. a person who is related to you, especially someone outside your immediate family

10.名詞B2
釋義

親戚

遠親或姻親關係

a person who is related to you, especially someone outside your immediate family such as a cousin, uncle, or in-law.

例句

Baraka has distant connections in Canada whom he has never met in person.

Baraka 在加拿大有一些從未見過面的遠房親戚。

collocation: distant / close / family connection

The wedding brought together all the family connections from both sides, including great-aunts and second cousins.

那場婚禮聚集了雙方所有的親戚，包括姑婆和遠房表親。

同義詞
  • relative

    more direct and neutral; covers both close and distant family

  • relation

    very similar to 'relative,' slightly more formal

  • kin

    formal or literary; often used collectively ('next of kin')

反義詞
  • stranger

    someone not related to you at all

用法筆記

Almost always appears in plural form ('connections') when referring to multiple relatives. Often modified by a nationality or place ('Irish connections,' 'family connections in Texas'). Distinguish from sense 1 (relationship/link), which can be abstract; sense 10 always refers to actual people.

常見錯誤

❌She is a close connection of mine.
✅She is a close relative of mine.
💡'connection' sounds unnatural for direct, close family members; use it for more distant family ties.

11. a person who sells illegal drugs, especially one who supplies the same customers

11.名詞C1
釋義

毒販

毒品供應來源

a person who sells illegal drugs, especially one who supplies the same customers regularly.

例句

The police arrested the man they believed was the main connection for heroin in the neighbourhood.

警方逮捕了一名他們認為是社區內主要海洛因供應來源的男子。

collocation: main connection + [drug name]

Detective Okafor spent months trying to identify the connection who supplied cocaine to the clubs.

Okafor 警探花了幾個月的時間試圖找出供應古柯鹼給那些夜店的毒販。

同義詞
  • supplier

    neutral term; can be legal or illegal depending on context

  • dealer

    common informal term for someone who sells illegal drugs

  • source

    vague term that does not specify illegal activity

用法筆記

Strongly informal and associated with criminal slang. Not used in formal or academic writing. The term often implies a regular, ongoing supplier–customer relationship rather than a one-time sale.

常見錯誤

❌He is my drug connection for painkillers.
✅He is my source for painkillers.
💡'connection' sounds like criminal slang; avoid using it casually about legal medication.