ENGLISH
REFERENCE

conjugate

n.
C2 Proficiency US //ˈkɑndʒəˌɡeɪt// con·ju·gate Archaic

n. a group of things that are related to each other in a specific way. In math, it is a pair of numbers or expressions that are linked by a sign change.

n. a group of related entities or a pair of mathematical expressions that are connected by a specific transformation, such as a sign change. Often used in the context of complex numbers or grammar to describe related forms.


SIMPLE

The two complex numbers are conjugates of each other.

CONTEXTUAL

In grammar, the verb 'to be' has several conjugates depending on the subject and the tense.

COMPLEX

The chemical properties of the conjugate base are determined by the strength of the original acid, illustrating a fundamental principle in acid-base chemistry.

Synonyms
Origin

The adjective (as “combined, united”) and noun are first attested in 1471, in Middle English, the verb in 1530; partly from Middle English conjugat(e) (“combined, united”), partly directly borrowed from New Latin coniugātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin coniugō (“to yoke together, combine; (New Latin) to conjugate, decline, inflect”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)), from con- (“with”) + iugō (“to join”). In Classical Latin, the word for conjugate (grammar) was dēclīnō, coniugō is a later back-formation from post-classical coniugātiō (“conjugation, declension”).

© 2026 English Reference