back formation
noun Linguistics.
the analogical creation of one word from another word that appears to be a derived or inflected form of the first by dropping the apparent affix or by modification.
a word so formed, as typewrite from typewriter.
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What does “barren” mean?
Origin of back formation
First recorded in 1885–90
Words nearby back formation
backflip, back float, backflow, back focus, back foot, back formation, back forty, back four, backgammon, back gear, back green
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for back formation
back formation
noun
the invention of a new word on the assumption that a familiar word is derived from it. The verbs edit and burgle were so created from editor and burglar
a word formed by this process
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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