To connect means to join two or more things together, whether physically or in your mind. When you connect your phone charger to an outlet, you're creating a link that lets electricity flow. When you connect ideas in an essay, you're showing how one thought leads to another.

The word works in many different ways. You might connect pieces of a train track so they form a continuous path, or connect the dots in a puzzle to reveal a hidden picture. In conversation, people connect when they discover shared interests or experiences: “We really connected over our love of rock climbing.” Sometimes you connect facts to solve a mystery, linking clues until the answer becomes clear.

In today's world, connect often describes digital communication. You connect to the internet, connect with friends on video calls, or check if your wireless headphones are properly connected to your device.

The noun form is connection. A strong friendship is a valuable connection. A connecting flight takes you from one plane to another to reach your final destination. When something feels meaningful or relevant to your life, you might say, “I felt a real connection to that story.”

The opposite is disconnect: to separate or break apart something that was joined.