combination
Americannoun
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combinations
plural
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the act of combining or the state of being combined.
- Synonyms:
- coalescence, union, conjunction, association
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a number of things combined.
a combination of ideas.
- Synonyms:
- amalgam, amalgamation, mixture
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something formed by combining.
A chord is a combination of notes.
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an alliance of persons or parties.
a combination in restraint of trade.
- Synonyms:
- conspiracy, cabal, bloc, monopoly, combine, cartel, coalition, league, federation, association
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the set or series of numbers or letters used in setting the mechanism of a combination lock.
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the parts of the mechanism operated by this.
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Often combinations. a suit of underwear in one piece.
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Mathematics.
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the arrangement of elements into various groups without regard to their order in the group.
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a group thus formed.
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noun
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the act of combining or state of being combined
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a union of separate parts, qualities, etc
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an alliance of people or parties; group having a common purpose
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the set of numbers that opens a combination lock
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the mechanism of this type of lock
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a motorcycle with a sidecar attached
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maths
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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
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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
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the chemical reaction of two or more compounds, usually to form one other compound
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chess a tactical manoeuvre involving a sequence of moves and more than one piece
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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intercombinationnoun
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noncombinationnoun
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precombinationnoun
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supercombinationnoun
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combinationaladjective
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uncombinationaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of combination
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; see combine) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A combination is a grouping together of separate things. Your desire to live to a big city might come from a combination of your dreams of being on stage, and your obsession with underground trains. Combination is the act of combining, which comes from the Latin for "joining together two by two," although it's not necessary that you combine things in pairs. Your famous party mix might be a combination of pretzels, nuts, and espresso beans. Your locker combination is the set of numbers you have to dial to open the lock. If you plan to go on a TV talent show, get ready to learn some dance combinations. Kick, spin, drop, roll!
Vocabulary lists containing combination
List 1
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com-, con-
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"We have engineering capabilities, we have software and AI capabilities, robotics capabilities -- it is a great combination that would be hard to replicate somewhere else."
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
This summer, a combination of dry air, strong winds and dry vegetation turned the area into a “little bomb,” said Jean Jacques Maurin, a local tree farmer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
“The inside is arranged with the measured confidence of Spanish Colonial design at its most resolved, delightfully adding a secret passageway to a speakeasy behind a combination vault,” it states.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
This combination has some of the strongest scientific evidence supporting its use in severe periodontitis.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Thinking this might correspond to “reply,” she then spotted the combination “7193 6010.”
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
They found that certain combinations of these metabolites were associated with earlier or later death in dogs in ways that closely resembled patterns previously identified in humans.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
Along with the “friend group’s” mathematically intriguing number of combinations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
United have also looked to spend longer spells in possession under Carrick, progressing through midfield with quick combinations.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
The researchers tested different combinations of globular cluster characteristics and possible dark matter distributions to determine which scenarios could reproduce the stream's observed appearance.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
There are many combinations of notes that share some harmonics and make a pleasant sound together.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
