combination

[kom-buh-ney-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of combining or the state of being combined.

   Synonyms: coalescence, union, conjunction, association

2. a number of things combined.

   a combination of ideas.

   Synonyms: amalgam, amalgamation, mixture

3. something formed by combining.

   A chord is a combination of notes.

4. an alliance of persons or parties.

   a combination in restraint of trade.

   Synonyms: conspiracy, cabal, bloc, monopoly, combine, cartel, cartel, coalition, league, league, federation, association

5. the set or series of numbers or letters used in setting the mechanism of a combination lock.

6. the parts of the mechanism operated by this.

7. Often combinations. a suit of underwear in one piece.

8. Mathematics.

   1. the arrangement of elements into various groups without regard to their order in the group.

   2. a group thus formed.

combination

/ ˌkɒmbɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of combining or state of being combined

2. a union of separate parts, qualities, etc

3. an alliance of people or parties; group having a common purpose

4. 1. the set of numbers that opens a combination lock

   2. the mechanism of this type of lock

5. a motorcycle with a sidecar attached

6. maths

   1. an arrangement of the numbers, terms, etc, of a set into specified groups without regard to order in the group

      the combinations of a, b, and c, taken two at a time, are ab, bc, ac

   2. a group formed in this way. The number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time is n !/[( n – r )! r !]. Symbol: n C r Compare permutation

7. the chemical reaction of two or more compounds, usually to form one other compound

8. chess a tactical manoeuvre involving a sequence of moves and more than one piece

Other Word Forms

• combinational adjective
• intercombination noun
• noncombination noun
• precombination noun
• supercombination noun
• uncombinational adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of combination¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English combinacyoun, from Middle French, from Late Latin combīnātiōn-, stem of combīnātiō “a joining by twos,” equivalent to combīnāt(us) “combined,” literally, “joined by twos” (past participle of combīnāre; combine ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Unfortunately, Balding locked in an incorrect combination at the first gate before the contestants had even begun tackling the puzzle, not realising you only got one chance to enter the code.

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He replied: "I don't know the answer to that, but I would say probably a combination of these."

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League officials believe the exclusivity of one package would generate more collective revenue than the combination of 30 individual team deals.

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Torrance refinery, federal investigators found a combination of organizational and technological issues caused the major blast.

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Many attendees stuck to a black and white theme, a classic colour combination that was favoured by Coco Chanel herself and also featured on Monday's runway.

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Related Words

• combo 
• consolidation 
• merger 
• mix 
• sequence 
• solution