ikatan

Ikatan is a noun in Indonesian that generally means bond, tie, or linkage. It can refer to physical connections as well as abstract or social relationships. In everyday use, ikatan describes the way things or people are connected and can convey a sense of obligation, loyalty, or interdependence.

The word derives from ikat, meaning to bind, with the suffix -an forming a noun that denotes a state or condition. As a result, ikatan can denote both concrete bindings, such as a physical tie, and more figurative connections between people, groups, or concepts.

In social and cultural contexts, ikatan often appears in phrases such as ikatan keluarga (family bonds), ikatan persahabatan (friendship ties), and ikatan darah (blood ties). The term can also be used metaphorically to speak of moral or social obligations, for example ikatan batin (inner bond) or ikatan sosial (social bond).

In legal or formal contexts, Indonesian typically uses other terms like perjanjian, kontrak, or hubungan kerja for binding agreements or employment relationships. Nevertheless, ikatan pernikahan or ikatan nikah can appear in religious or literary texts to describe the bond of marriage, though this usage may be less common in formal statutory language.

In science, ikatan is used to describe bonds between atoms or molecules, with expressions such as ikatan kimia (chemical bond), ikatan kovalen (covalent bond), and ikatan ionik (ionic bond).

See also: ikatan kimia, ikatan sosial, ikatan keluarga.