bonding

noun bond·ing \ ˈbän-diŋ \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of bonding

1 : the formation of a close relationship (as between a mother and child or between a person and an animal) especially through frequent or constant association

2 : the attaching of a material (such as porcelain) to a tooth surface especially for cosmetic purposes

See bonding defined for English-language learners

Examples of bonding in a Sentence

He and his dad spent the weekend together for some male bonding.
this epoxy has good bonding for glass and ceramics

Recent Examples of bonding from the Web

Moving on: Becca's bonding with all the guys—especially Wills, who gets emotional talking about his family.

— anna moeslein, Glamour, "'The Bachelorette' Season 14 Episode 2 Recap: So Many Good Arie Luyendyk Jr. Burns," 4 June 2018
Irons couldn’t have had nicer things to say about BAM; sharing his experience bonding with passersby and BAM-workers during his cigarette breaks by the stage door before performances of his just-closed show A Long Day’s Journey into Night.

— Vogue, "Darren Aronofsky, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Irons and More Attend BAM's Gala," 31 May 2018
Getty Images Kate Middleton spent Sunday bonding with her two oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at the Houghton Horse Trials in Norfolk.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Kate Middleton Spent the Day at the Houghton Horse Trials With Prince George and Princess Charlotte," 28 May 2018
The weekend of bonding turns into an epic adventure.

— sonja haller, USA TODAY, "Netflix's summer sneak peek has some fun picks for kids and families," 21 May 2018
Veterans from Ramona who were given the gift of visiting war memorials in Washington, D.C., experienced the intrinsic benefits of camaraderie and family bonding along the way.

— julie gallant, Ramona Sentinel, "Veterans return from Honor Flight trip," 16 May 2018
Some of the reasons for this success are evident in the firm’s safety record, bonding capacity and the quality of projects completed.

— joan westlake, azcentral, "At DP Electric, people power success," 14 May 2018
Sure, the idea of the kitchen as a crucial place of bonding and achievement is in the air — the show is not dumb — but the commitment to some kind of truth and reality needs to be so much stronger.

— chris jones, chicagotribune.com, "Review: 'A Taste of Things to Come' needs more zest," 27 Mar. 2018
This was also a performance of bonding between Dudamel and Uchida, who seemed on the same wavelength throughout, also adding to the sheer persuasiveness of the performance.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Keeping Schumann sane: Mitsuko Uchida and the L.A. Phil deliver method over madness," 18 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bonding.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of bonding

1969

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

bonding Synonyms

BONDING Defined for English Language Learners

bonding

noun

Definition of bonding for English Language Learners

: the process of forming a close relationship with someone

Medical Dictionary

bonding

noun bond·ing

medical Definition of bonding

1 : the formation of a close relationship (as between a mother and child or between a person and an animal) especially through frequent or constant association — see male bonding

2 : a dental technique in which a material and especially plastic or porcelain is attached to a tooth surface to correct minor defects (as chipped or discolored teeth) especially for cosmetic purposes