coupling

noun

cou·​pling ˈkə-pliŋ How to pronounce coupling (audio)
(usual for sense 2)
-pə-liŋ How to pronounce coupling (audio)
Synonyms of couplingnext
1
: the act of bringing or coming together : pairing
specifically : sexual union
2
: a device that serves to connect the ends of adjacent parts or objects
3
: the joining of or the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters of a quadruped
4
: a means of electric connection of two electric circuits by having a part common to both

Synonyms of coupling

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Examples of coupling in a Sentence

the couplings between railroad cars a coupling of literature and science
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, the rubber fenders and specialized coupling devices installed on the foundation legs helped absorb potential impacts. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026 Take Miley Cyrus’s brief 2014 romance with Patrick Schwarzenegger, or Kaia Gerber’s current coupling with Lewis Pullman. — Ayana Herndon, InStyle, 25 July 2026 Infleqtion’s Sqale platform is a full-stack neutral-atom system designed with fault-tolerant ambitions and, notably, tight coupling to classical AI infrastructure via NVIDIA’s NVQLink. — Karl Freund, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 The strength of the coupling between each pair of RLC resonators in the network can be varied, and all the couplings can be written in the mathematical form of a matrix. — Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for coupling

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coupling was in the 14th century

Rhymes for coupling

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Browse Nearby Words

couple with
coupling
coupling box
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Cite this Entry

“Coupling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coupling. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

coupling

noun
cou·​pling ˈkəp-liŋ ( How to pronounce coupling (audio)
usual for sense 2 ), 
-ə-liŋ
1
: the act of bringing or coming together
2
: something that connects two parts or things

Medical Definition

coupling

noun
cou·​pling ˈkəp-liŋ, -ə-liŋ How to pronounce coupling (audio)
1
: the joint together with its supporting structures between the last lumbar vertebra and the sacrum that joins the hindquarters of a quadruped to the trunk
broadly : the part of the body or the conformation and proportionate length of the part of the body that joins the hindquarters to the forequarters
2
: the tendency of linked traits to be inherited together in offspring of a double heterozygote when both dominant genes occur on one chromosome and both recessive genes occur on the homologous chromosome compare repulsion
3
: bigeminy

More from Merriam-Webster on coupling

Nglish: Translation of coupling for Spanish Speakers

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