conjugate

1 of 3

adjective

con·​ju·​gate ˈkän-ji-gət How to pronounce conjugate (audio)
-jə-ˌgāt
1
a
: joined together especially in pairs : coupled
a conjugate relationship
b
: acting or operating as if joined
2
a
: having features in common but opposite or inverse in some particular
b
: relating to or being conjugate complex numbers
complex roots occurring in conjugate pairs
3
of an acid or base : related by the difference of a proton
The acid NH4+ and the base NH3 are conjugate to each other.
4
: having the same derivation and therefore usually some likeness in meaning
conjugate words
5
of two leaves of a book : forming a single piece
conjugately adverb
conjugateness noun

conjugate

2 of 3

verb

con·​ju·​gate ˈkän-jə-ˌgāt How to pronounce conjugate (audio)
conjugated; conjugating

transitive verb

1
: to give in prescribed order the various inflectional forms of
used especially of a verb
2
: to join together

intransitive verb

1
: to become joined together
2
a
: to pair and fuse in conjugation (see conjugation sense 3a)
b
: to pair in synapsis

conjugate

3 of 3

noun

con·​ju·​gate ˈkän-ji-gət How to pronounce conjugate (audio)
-jə-ˌgāt
1
: something conjugate : a product of conjugating
2
3
: an element of a mathematical group that is equal to a given element of the group multiplied on the right by another element and on the left by the inverse of the latter element

Examples of conjugate in a Sentence

Verb Can you conjugate the verb “to go”? biological cells conjugating under a microscope
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The two most popular styles of training in powerlifting are conjugate and linear. Roger Lockridge, Men's Health, 26 Apr. 2022 There are two meningococcal vaccines: meningococcal conjugate vaccines (MenACWY) and serogroup B meningococcal vaccines (MenB). Patia Braithwaite, SELF, 26 Aug. 2019
Verb
This is when the body remembers conjugating humanity as an immemorial practice. Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2024 This is especially true with the sun, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter all conjugating in your sign—the cosmic gang is on your side. Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024
Noun
At AstraZeneca, investors will once again be looking for strong results from its cancer business, along with meaningful updates on the research pipeline, most notably the antibody-drug conjugates partnered with Daiichi Sankyo. Elaine Chen, STAT, 24 July 2024 Antibody-drug conjugates have become an important part of Astra’s cancer push, showing the promise to eventually replace conventional chemotherapy for some patients. TIME, 20 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for conjugate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conjugate.' 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 conjugat, from Latin conjugatus, past participle of conjugare to unite, from com- + jugare to join, from jugum yoke — more at yoke

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near conjugate

Cite this Entry

“Conjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conjugate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

conjugate

1 of 2 adjective
con·​ju·​gate ˈkän-ji-gət How to pronounce conjugate (audio)
-jə-ˌgāt
: joined together especially in pairs : coupled

conjugate

2 of 2 verb
con·​ju·​gate ˈkän-jə-ˌgāt How to pronounce conjugate (audio)
conjugated; conjugating
1
: to give the various forms of a verb in order
2
: to join together
3
: to pair and unite in conjugation

Medical Definition

conjugate

1 of 3 adjective
con·​ju·​gate ˈkän-ji-gət, -jə-ˌgāt How to pronounce conjugate (audio)
1
: functioning or operating simultaneously as if joined
conjugate eye movements
2
of an acid or base : related by the difference of a proton
the acid NH4+ and the base NH3 are conjugate to each other
conjugately adverb

conjugate

2 of 3 verb
con·​ju·​gate -jə-ˌgāt How to pronounce conjugate (audio)
conjugated; conjugating

transitive verb

: to unite (as with the elimination of water) so that the product is easily broken down (as by hydrolysis) into the original compounds
benzoic acid is conjugated with glycine to hippuric acid in the body

intransitive verb

1
: to pair and fuse in conjugation
2
: to pair in synapsis

conjugate

3 of 3 noun
: a chemical compound formed by the union of two compounds or united with another compound

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