および

A formal conjunction meaning 'and' or 'as well as'. It is used in written or formal contexts to link two nouns or noun phrases. It sounds more official than と and is common in contracts, reports, and business writing. It should connect items of equal grammatical status; do not use to connect a verb with a noun. Often appears in lists like A および B, or A および B の C. Examples: 会長および副会長が出席します。 (The president and the vice president will attend.) 本社および支社の責任者が集まった。 (The heads of the headquarters and the branch offices gathered.) 契約書には売主および買主が署名した。 (The seller and the buyer signed the contract.)