connection and link 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)”. link means “the means of connection between things linked in series”. 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 | link | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kəˈnɛkʃən/ | /ˈlɪŋk/ |
| Said | kuh-NEK-shuhn | lingk |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Letters | 10 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 9 | 13 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | connexion, connectedness | nexus |
Full entry for connection · Full entry for link · More comparisons
/ˈlɪŋk/
1.n.the means of connection between things linked in series
2.n.a fastener that serves to join or connect
“the walls are held together with metal links placed in the wet mortar during construction”
3.n.the state of being connected
“the connection between church and state is inescapable”