linkage

noun link·age \ ˈliŋ-kij \

Definition of linkage

1 : the manner or style of being united: such as

a : the manner in which atoms or radicals are linked in a molecule

b : bond 3c

2 : the quality or state of being linked; especially : the relationship between genes on the same chromosome that causes them to be inherited together — compare mendel's law 2

3 : a system of links; especially : a system of links or bars which are jointed together and more or less constrained by having a link or links fixed and by means of which straight or nearly straight lines or other point paths may be traced

4 : link 2b

5 : the tactic in diplomatic negotiations of linking often unrelated issues so that progress in one area is dependent on agreement in another

See linkage defined for English-language learners

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Examples of linkage in a Sentence

linkages between population growth and disease
the accountants noticed a linkage between the two supposedly independent companies

Recent Examples of linkage from the Web

The White House aides said the new trade probe wasn’t tied to the administration’s North Korea strategy, despite the president’s earlier linkage of the subjects.

— jacob schlesinger, WSJ, "Trump Administration to Begin Probe of Alleged Chinese Technology Theft," 12 Aug. 2017
Moreover, critics worked to discern linkages between the Dallas killing and clandestine government activities, primarily the Watergate break-in and cover-up.

— art simon, Slate Magazine, "In The Parallax View, Conspiracy Goes All the Way to the Top—and Beyond," 21 July 2017
Perhaps the most significant juxtaposition joins a photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald with the word ME, a linkage that not only suggests the type of personality sought by Parallax but anticipates the way the corporation will ultimately employ Frady.

— art simon, Slate Magazine, "In The Parallax View, Conspiracy Goes All the Way to the Top—and Beyond," 21 July 2017
All the talk is of linkage and leverage, to give the transactional Mr Trump a taste of his own medicine.

— The Economist, "New fences make bad neighboursDonald Trump could set off a nationalist backlash in Mexico," 26 Oct. 2017
So Schumer’s direct linkage of specific tax cuts and Medicare-Medicaid cuts is exaggerated — and keyed to a hot-button issue for voters.

— ajc homepage, ajc, "PolitiFact: Schumer overstates GOP budget, tax plan link," 13 Oct. 2017
This lets the researchers find protein linkages that might otherwise be too fleeting to detect.

— diana gitig, Ars Technica, "Researchers now updating and expanding evolution’s list of 20 amino acids," 5 Oct. 2017
As more names and linkages are unearthed, the full extent of the network becomes more known.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "The 10 Most Pressing Questions About the College Basketball Recruiting Scandal," 29 Sep. 2017
But beyond that, [concern over] the linkage between these floods and outbreaks of lots of different diseases is not yet so evident.

— alexandra sifferlin, Time, "Why Global Health Is Center Stage at the United Nations General Assembly," 18 Sep. 2017

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