connective

[ kuh-nek-tiv ]

adjective

1. serving or tending to connect:

   connective remarks between chapters.

noun

1. something that connects.
2. Grammar. a word used to connect words, phrases, clauses, and sentences, as a conjunction.
3. Botany. the tissue joining the two cells of the anther.

connective

/ ˌkɒnɛkˈtɪvɪtɪ; kəˈnɛktɪv /

adjective

1. serving to connect or capable of connecting

noun

1. a thing that connects
2. grammar logic
   1. a less common word for conjunction
   2. any word that connects phrases, clauses, or individual words
   3. a symbol used in a formal language in the construction of compound sentences from simpler sentences, corresponding to terms such as or, and, not, etc, in ordinary speech
3. botany the tissue of a stamen that connects the two lobes of the anther
4. anatomy a nerve-fibre bundle connecting two nerve centres

Derived Forms

• conˈnectively, adverb
• connectivity, noun

Other Words From

• con·nective·ly adverb
• con·nec·tiv·i·ty [kon-ek-, tiv, -i-tee], noun
• noncon·nective adjective noun
• noncon·nective·ly adverb
• noncon·nec·tivi·ty noun
• precon·nective adjective
• quasi-con·nective adjective
• quasi-con·nective·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of connective¹

First recorded in 1645–55; connect + -ive

Example Sentences

The study used two types of mouse cells -- connective tissue cells and stem cells -- engineered to carry a synthetic cellular communication system or "genetic circuit."

From Science Daily

Fibroblasts are specialized cells in connective tissues that play an important role in wound healing and tissue repair.

From Science Daily

"We discovered at least two different stem cell populations -- one that regenerates tissues such as epidermis and neurons, and another that forms muscles and connective tissue," says Adelmann.

From Science Daily

Doing so eliminates momentum and is therefore easier on the joints and connective tissue — one reason many fans of slo-mo training are in their golden years.

From Los Angeles Times

The chances of experiencing prolapse also goes up in general with age, as estrogen levels decrease the strength of the connective tissues in the area during perimenopause.

From Salon