# conjugation

/ˌkɑndʒəˈɡeɪʃən/ (US) · /kˌɒndʒuːɡˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/conjugation
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. verb forms

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the way a verb changes its ending to show who is doing the action and when it happens.

For teachers: the inflection of a particular verb, or the complete set of inflected forms of a verb.

- The teacher asked us to write down the full conjugation of the verb 'to be'.
- Mastering French requires a thorough understanding of irregular conjugation, as many common verbs do not follow standard inflectional patterns.

### 2. verb categories

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a group of verbs that all change their endings in the same way.

For teachers: a class of verbs that share a similar set of inflected forms.

- In Latin, verbs are divided into four main conjugations.
- The linguist categorized the newly discovered dialect's verbs into three distinct conjugations based on their thematic vowels.

### 3. biology

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the process where two tiny organisms join together to exchange genetic material.

For teachers: the temporary union of two bacteria or unicellular organisms for the exchange of genetic material.

- Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics through the process of conjugation.
- During bacterial conjugation, a donor cell transfers a plasmid to a recipient cell through a pilus, facilitating horizontal gene transfer.

### 4. chemistry

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a special arrangement of atoms in a molecule that helps it stay stable.

For teachers: a system of connected p-orbitals with delocalized electrons in a molecule, typically represented as alternating single and multiple bonds.

- The bright color of the dye is caused by the conjugation in its molecules.
- The stability of the aromatic ring is largely attributed to the extensive conjugation of its pi-electron system.

### 5. mathematics

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a specific way of changing one mathematical object into another related one.

For teachers: a mapping that sends an element x to gxg⁻¹ within a group, or the operation of finding a complex conjugate.

- We used complex conjugation to solve the quadratic equation.
- In group theory, conjugation by an element defines an inner automorphism that preserves the algebraic structure of the group.

## Examples

- Learning the conjugation of regular verbs is the first step in Spanish.
- The teacher explained that the conjugation of the verb 'to be' changes depending on whether you are talking about yourself or someone else.
- While the grammatical conjugation of the verb remains consistent across most dialects, the biological conjugation of these bacteria allows for rapid adaptation to changing environmental conditions.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.