or nexus
ˈnek-səs
Did you know?
If you’re unfamiliar with the word nexus, the popular, long-running video game series The Legend of Zelda may provide an object lesson in its several definitions (and if you’re unfamiliar with the games, we will explain). When nexus came into English in the 17th century, it meant “connection” or “link.” Eventually, people began using it to refer to a connected group or series of things, as in “a nexus of relationships.” In recent decades it has taken on a third meaning: “center” or “hub,” perhaps from the notion that a point in the center of an arrangement serves to join together the objects that surround it. Now, one might plausibly say that the 20 Zelda games (not counting remakes and spin-offs) themselves form a nexus, as each represents an installment in a long, twisty saga with numerous echoes and callbacks to other games in the series. Most of these feature the fictional land of Hyrule, which often presents magical nexuses to shadowy alternate dimensions (1991’s A Link to the Past), the past (2011’s Skyward Sword), or the underworld (2023’s Tears of the Kingdom) that the hero, Link (ahem) must traverse. As for nexus’s third meaning, Hyrule’s map is nearly always situated around a central nexus, or hub, in the form of the castle where the titular Zelda lives. (If you’re into gaming or curious about its lingo, don’t miss the article “Popular Gaming Terms Explained”).
Examples of nexus in a Sentence
JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
The show ill celebrate the nexus of film and fashion, with all of the proceeds going to the Entertainment Community Fund, with a focus on supporting costume community professionals impacted by this year’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2025
Dimitri de Vreeze is far from the only Fortune 500 company that benefits from Switzerland’s unique industrial-academic nexus.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
The Duggan family’s decision to open its newest Original Joe’s location in Walnut Creek was seen as a reminder that the city remains the nexus of culture, retail and dining in the East Bay suburbs, according to the Duggan family and city officials.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nexus
Cite this Entry
“Nexus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nexus. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
nexus
noun
or nexus
-səs, -ˌsüs
Legal Definition
nexus
noun
Latin, bond, tie, from nectere to bind
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