What does delinking mean?
Delinking is the act or process of severing a connection or association that previously existed between two things. The word is most at home in economic and political discourse: economists speak of the delinking of one currency from another, or the delinking of developing economies from the fortunes of wealthier trading partners. Beyond finance, it can describe the formal separation of any linked entities — pay from performance, institutions from governments, policies from past practice. Delinking carries a neutral to slightly technical connotation and is generally confined to formal writing and speech; everyday conversation would more likely use simpler words like separation or breakup. It derives from the verb delink, formed by adding the prefix de- (indicating removal or reversal) to link, a word of Old Norse origin meaning a chain or connecting element. Its opposite is linking, and its close cousin is decoupling, with which it is often interchangeable in economic contexts.
nounThe action or process of separating something from a connection or association it formerly had; the state of being disconnected. It is especially used in economic and political contexts, where it denotes breaking established ties between currencies, economies, or institutions.
- The act or process of ending a formal connection or association between things, especially in economics or politics.
- The state of no longer being connected to something.
"The government's delinking of the currency from the dollar triggered a sharp market reaction."
"Analysts debated whether emerging markets had achieved genuine delinking from Western economies."
"The delinking of salaries from seniority marked a major shift in company policy."
When economists say two markets have 'delinked,' they mean that what happens in one no longer drags the other along — a break once thought impossible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of delinking
Delinking is formed within English from the prefix de-, indicating reversal or removal, attached to the verb link, which entered English from Old Norse (hlekkr, "a chain or link") via Middle English. As a verbal noun, delinking emerged as the need arose to name the deliberate severing of formal connections, particularly in twentieth-century economic and monetary discussion. It shares this Germanic root with related formations such as linkage, interlink, and unlink.
Related word forms
How delinking is actually used
Mostly formal register, appearing chiefly in economic, financial, and policy writing. The related verb is "delink," and the noun often appears in the phrase "delinking of X from Y."
Easily confused with delinking
"Unlinking" refers to removing a link in a general or technical sense (such as severing hyperlinks or chains), while "delinking" typically refers to formally ending an association between systems, currencies, or organizations.