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Back to article: CONJUNCTION (from Lat. conjungere, to join together)

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CONJUNCTION (from Lat. conjungere, to join together), a general term signifying the act or state of being joined together. It is used technically in astronomy and grammar. In astronomy," conjunction" is the nearest apparent approach of two heavenly bodies which seem to pass each other in their courses—said to be in longitude, right ascension, &c., when they have the same longitude, &c. A superior conjunction is one in which the lesser body is beyond the greater, especially when a planet is beyond the sun. An inferior conjunction is one in which a planet is on our side of the sun. In grammar the term " conjunction is applied to one of the so-called " parts of speech, " viz. those words which are used to " join together " words, clauses or sentences. Con-junctions are variously classified according to their specific function, e.g. adversative (" but," " though ") which contrast, illative (" therefore ") where the second sentence or clause is an inference from the first, temporal where a time-relation is expressed, and so forth.