# covalent

/koʊˈvɑɫənt/ (US) · /kˈəʊveɪlənt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/covalent
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Definition

describing a chemical bond where two atoms share electrons to stay together. You find it in water and many everyday molecules.

For teachers: relating to a chemical bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. Typically contrasted with ionic bonding, in which electrons are transferred from one atom to another.

## Examples

- Water has covalent bonds that hold its atoms together.
- In chemistry class, students learn that diamond is hard because its carbon atoms join in a strong covalent network.
- The remarkable stability of DNA rests partly on covalent bonds along its sugar-phosphate backbone, which resist breaking even as weaker hydrogen bonds between strands open for copying.

## Usage notes

- Typically placed before the noun it modifies, as in 'covalent bond'.

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