Meaning & use
bondless
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparablerare
having no bond, tie, or connection
Grammar: Not used with 'more' or 'most'; it simply states a lack, like 'homeless'.
Patterns
- bondless state
- bondless existence
The philosopher imagined a bondless life with no duties to anyone.
In the story, the hero feels bondless, cut off from family and country.
adjectivenot comparabletechnicalchemistryphysics
in chemistry and physics, having no chemical bond or no bonding electrons
Grammar: Used before a noun in technical descriptions: a bondless atom.
Patterns
- bondless atom
- bondless state
The model shows a bondless atom drifting alone in the gas.
Researchers studied a bondless surface where no molecules attach.
Common combinations
- a bondless state
- The gas exists in a bondless state at high temperature.
- a bondless atom
- A bondless atom is highly reactive.
- a bondless existence
- The novel describes a bondless existence in a big city.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unattached
- This is far more common and usually refers to people or things not joined to anything.
- free
- This is broader and can mean not tied down, but it does not specifically mean 'without a bond'.
- unbonded
- This is the usual technical opposite of 'bonded' and is more common than 'bondless' in chemistry.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: bondless or boundless? bondless or bonded?
bondless vs boundless
Boundless means 'without limits' and is much more common; bondless means 'without a bond'.
bondless vs bonded
This is the opposite: joined by a bond, not lacking one.
Practice
In this technical text, a ______ atom means an atom with no chemical bonds.
Choose one answer.
'Bondless' means without bonds, which fits the definition given. 'Boundless' means unlimited, 'bonded' means joined, and 'bonding' describes the process, not the lack of bonds.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bondless”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.