connection and joining share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. connection means “a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)”. joining means “the act of bringing two things into contact (especially for communication)”. connection is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/kəˈnɛkʃən/
1.n.a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)
“there was a connection between eating that pickle and having that nightmare”
2.n.the state of being connected
“the connection between church and state is inescapable”
3.n.an instrumentality that connects
“he soldered the connection”
| connection | joining | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kəˈnɛkʃən/ | /ˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/ |
| Said | kuh-NEK-shuhn | JOY-ning |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Letters | 10 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun |
| Senses | 9 | 1 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | connexion, connectedness | connection, connexion |
Full entry for connection · Full entry for joining · More comparisons
/ˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/
1.n.the act of bringing two things into contact (especially for communication)
“the joining of hands around the table”