Meaning & use
loose connection
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A point in an electrical circuit where wires are not firmly joined, often causing flickering or failure.
Grammar: Countable; used with a/an or the plural. Often followed by 'in' or 'between'.
Patterns
- a loose connection in something
- a loose connection between two things
- have a loose connection
The lamp keeps flickering because there's a loose connection in the plug.
An electrician found a loose connection between the battery and the motor.
If you suspect a loose connection, turn off the power before checking the wires.
nouncountable
A weak or distant relationship between people or groups.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'have' or 'there is'. Followed by 'with' or 'between'.
Patterns
- a loose connection with someone
- a loose connection between people
- have a loose connection
I have a loose connection with my cousins; we only meet at weddings.
There's a loose connection between the two departments, so information rarely flows.
She maintained a loose connection with her old school friends through social media.
nouncountable
A weak or indirect link between ideas, events, or things.
Grammar: Countable; often used in academic or analytical contexts. Followed by 'between' or 'to'.
Patterns
- a loose connection between ideas
- a loose connection to something
- see a loose connection
The study found only a loose connection between the two variables.
His argument relies on a loose connection between cause and effect.
There is a loose connection between the novel's title and its plot.
Word forms
| plural | loose connections |
|---|
Common combinations
- a loose connection in the wiring
- The flickering lights were caused by a loose connection in the wiring.
- a loose connection between two people
- They have a loose connection between them, but they're not close.
- maintain a loose connection
- He maintains a loose connection with his former colleagues.
- check for a loose connection
- The technician checked for a loose connection before replacing the part.
Synonyms and how they differ
- weak link
- Often used for a person or thing that is likely to fail; 'loose connection' is more specific to electrical or relational gaps.
- distant relationship
- Focuses on emotional distance between people; 'loose connection' can also refer to electrical or logical links.
Opposites
Word family
- loosely connected adjective
- Describes things that are not firmly joined or closely related.
Commonly confused: loose connection or lost connection? loose connection or loose association?
loose connection vs lost connection
'Lost connection' means a connection that has been broken, especially in phone or internet signals. 'Loose connection' means it is still there but not secure.
loose connection vs loose association
'Loose association' is more formal and often refers to ideas; 'loose connection' is more common for physical or personal links.
Practice
The radio keeps cutting out. I think there's a ______ in the antenna.
Choose one answer.
'Loose connection' fits because the antenna wire is not firmly joined, causing intermittent signal. 'Lost connection' means the connection is gone, not faulty. 'Loose association' is about ideas, and 'tight connection' is the opposite of what's needed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “loose connection”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.