concatenate

1 of 2

adjective

con·​cat·​e·​nate kän-ˈka-tə-nət How to pronounce concatenate (audio)
kən-
: linked together

concatenate

2 of 2

verb

con·​cat·​e·​nate kän-ˈka-tə-ˌnāt How to pronounce concatenate (audio)
kən-
concatenated; concatenating

transitive verb

: to link together in a series or chain
… a theory is useful to concatenate facts …John Pinkerton

Did you know?

Concatenate is a fancy word for a simple thing: it means “to link together in a series or chain.” It’s Latin in origin, formed from a word combining con-, meaning “with” or “together,” and catena, meaning “chain. ” (The word chain is also linked directly to catena.) Concatenate can also function in English as an adjective meaning “linked together,” as in “concatenate strings of characters,” but it’s rare beyond technology contexts. More common than either concatenate is the noun concatenation, used for a group of things linked together in a series, as in “a concatenation of events led to the mayor’s resignation.” Concatenation, like concatenate, is used mostly in formal contexts, but you’re welcome to change that. We personally would be tickled if professional baseball players aspired to play in the “World Concatenation,” and people talked about the latest concatenation they’ve been binge-watching.

Examples of concatenate in a Sentence

Verb concatenate several lists of instructions into a single master file the movie actually concatenates into one extended narrative several episodes from various books in the series
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The vehicle utilizes its unique roll mechanism design together with the switching control strategy to concatenate a series of steady wings-level and turning flights and accomplish behaviors comparable to air gliders. IEEE Spectrum, 8 Feb. 2019 Most importantly, smell matters because all our senses concatenate and build on each other. Wired, 2 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concatenate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

Middle English, from Late Latin concatenatus, past participle of concatenare to link together, from Latin com- + catena chain

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of concatenate was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near concatenate

Cite this Entry

“Concatenate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concatenate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

concatenate

verb
con·​cat·​e·​nate
kän-ˈkat-ə-nāt,
kən-
concatenated; concatenating
: to link together in a series or chain
concatenation
(ˌ)kän-ˌkat-ə-ˈnā-shən
kən-
noun

Medical Definition

concatenate

adjective
con·​cat·​e·​nate kän-ˈkat-ə-nət, kən- How to pronounce concatenate (audio)
: linked together

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