nexus

noun

nex·​us ˈnek-səs 

plural nexuses ˈnek-sə-səz  or nexus ˈnek-səs 

-ˌsüs

1

: connection, link

the nexus between teachers and students

also : a causal link

the nexus between poverty and crime

2

: a connected group or series

a nexus of theories

a nexus of relationships

3

: center, focus

The bookstore has become something of a nexus for the downtown neighborhood.

—Jane Smiley

Did you know?

If you’re unfamiliar with the word nexus, the popular, long-running video game series The Legend of Zelda may provide an object lesson in its several definitions (and if you’re unfamiliar with the games, we will explain). When nexus came into English in the 17th century, it meant “connection” or “link.” Eventually, people began using it to refer to a connected group or series of things, as in “a nexus of relationships.” In recent decades it has taken on a third meaning: “center” or “hub,” perhaps from the notion that a point in the center of an arrangement serves to join together the objects that surround it. Now, one might plausibly say that the 20 Zelda games (not counting remakes and spin-offs) themselves form a nexus, as each represents an installment in a long, twisty saga with numerous echoes and callbacks to other games in the series. Most of these feature the fictional land of Hyrule, which often presents magical nexuses to shadowy alternate dimensions (1991’s A Link to the Past), the past (2011’s Skyward Sword), or the underworld (2023’s Tears of the Kingdom) that the hero, Link (ahem) must traverse. As for nexus’s third meaning, Hyrule’s map is nearly always situated around a central nexus, or hub, in the form of the castle where the titular Zelda lives. (If you’re into gaming or curious about its lingo, don’t miss the article “Popular Gaming Terms Explained”).

Synonyms

• catena
• catenation
• chain
• concatenation
• consecution
• progression
• sequence
• string
• train

Examples of nexus in a Sentence

the oft-repeated claim that any person on the planet can be connected to any other person through a nexus of six relationships

as the nexus for three great religions, Jerusalem has had a troubled as well as illustrious history

Recent Examples on the Web

The 3,500-square-foot space, tucked next to a Levi’s store and mall anchor Macy’s at the nexus of the shopping promenade, quietly opened two weeks ago, luring the EV-curious and casual passersby into the unlikely two-vehicle showroom where a women’s clothing store once stood. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2024

The 325-room resort and its world-class, superyacht marina stand at the nexus of a $1 billion revitalization project that will see the multi-faceted property deliver its first-ever luxury residences. —Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

Part fascinating culture study of an ex-Orthodox Jewish woman and her family and part Bravo-style soap, this strange show lives at the nexus of authenticity and contrivance. —Laura Bradley, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024

Another decade passed before the latest federal probe into Illinois politics shed a new spotlight on the nexus between lobbying and public corruption and led to the convictions of more than a dozen lobbyists, lawmakers, lawmakers-turned-lobbyists and others. —Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 17 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from nectere to bind

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Medical Definition

nexus

noun

nex·​us ˈnek-səs 

plural nexuses -sə-səz  or nexus -səs, -ˌsüs 

1

: a connection or link

2

: a connected group or series

Legal Definition

nexus

noun

nex·​us ˈnek-səs 

plural nexuses or nexus -səs, -ˌsüs 

: a connection or link between things, persons, or events especially that is or is part of a chain of causation

Etymology

Latin, bond, tie, from nectere to bind