combination

[ kom-buh-ney-shuhn ]

/ ˌkɒm bəˈneɪ ʃən /

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See synonyms for: combination / combinations / combinational on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of combining or the state of being combined.

a number of things combined: a combination of ideas.

something formed by combining: A chord is a combination of notes.

an alliance of persons or parties: a combination in restraint of trade.

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

the parts of the mechanism operated by this.

Often combinations. a suit of underwear in one piece.

Mathematics.

the arrangement of elements into various groups without regard to their order in the group.
a group thus formed.Compare permutation (def. 1).

OTHER WORDS FOR combination

1 association, conjunction, union, coalescence, blending.

2 mixture, amalgamation, amalgam.

4 association, federation, league, coalition; cartel, combine, monopoly, bloc, cabal, conspiracy.

See synonyms for combination on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of combination

1350–1400; Middle English combinacyoun (<Middle French ) <Late Latin combīnātiōn- (stem of combīnātiō), equivalent to combīnāt(us) combined (see combine, -ate¹) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM combination

com·bi·na·tion·al, adjectivein·ter·com·bi·na·tion, nounnon·com·bi·na·tion, nounpre·com·bi·na·tion, noun

su·per·com·bi·na·tion, nounun·com·bi·na·tion·al, adjective

Words nearby combination

combed yarn, comber, comber board, comb-footed spider, combinable, combination, combination door, combination drug, combination last, combination lock, combination principle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use combination in a sentence

The waxing and waning of the infections every year is a combination of the potential for transmission at different times combined with how many susceptible people there are in the population.
COVID-19 may one day come and go like the flu, but we’re not there yet|Kate Baggaley|September 16, 2020|Popular-Science
“All pain experiences are a combination of physical and emotional responses,” Robertson says.
The best thing for back pain is actually more movement|Sara Chodosh|September 16, 2020|Popular-Science
“The combination of these problems doomed the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights,” the report said.
Boeing crashes were the “horrific culmination” of multiple mistakes, House report says|kdunn6|September 16, 2020|Fortune
A particular combination of atoms will always react with other chemicals in the same way.
Scientists say: Chemical|Bethany Brookshire|September 14, 2020|Science News For Students

To create a more visually engaging setting for Disrupt’s programming, TechCrunch created a 3D rendering of the Moscone Center using a combination of green screens, real sets and video call-ins from guests.
‘Layer of data and efficiency’: How TechCrunch took Disrupt virtual — and grew for its tenth anniversary|Max Willens|September 11, 2020|Digiday
He uses some combination of the words comfort or discomfort in regards to how he feels about situations over 30 times.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player|William O’Connor|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While the look worked for some, the combination of heat and chemicals took a toll on the hair of others.
Goodbye To A Natural Hair Guru: Miss Jessie's Cofounder Titi Branch Dead At 45|Danielle Belton|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But if he heard this combination of Greek and Cuban music, he would be forced to reconsider.
The Best Albums of 2014|Ted Gioia|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Late Thursday night, the House passed the combination continuing resolution/omnibus spending bill by a vote of 219-206.
‘Cromnibus’ Passes, But Did Anyone Win?|Ben Jacobs|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“African-American males have some of the worst health data out of any sort of gender-race combination in our country,” he said.
Talking Tofurky With Newly Vegan Cory Booker|Vlad Chituc|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Father, mother, sister, and brother all played and worked together with rare combination of sympathetic gifts.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
The other was the spirited portrait of Baron von Friedericks, a happy combination of cavalier and soldier in its manly strength.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
In the lungs hemoglobin forms a loose combination with oxygen, which it readily gives up when it reaches the tissues.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Before Ulm he nearly ruined Napoleon's combination by failing to get in contact with the enemy.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
About midnight the combination of sultry heat and banked clouds produced the usual results.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for combination

combination

/ (ˌkɒmbɪˈneɪʃən) /

noun

the act of combining or state of being combined

a union of separate parts, qualities, etc

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

the set of numbers that opens a combination lock
the mechanism of this type of lock

British a motorcycle with a sidecar attached

maths

an arrangement of the numbers, terms, etc, of a set into specified groups without regard to order in the groupthe combinations of a, b, and c, taken two at a time, are ab, bc, ac
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 rCompare permutation (def. 1)

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

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

Derived forms of combination

combinational, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

combination

OTHER WORDS FOR combination

Origin of combination

OTHER WORDS FROM combination

Words nearby combination

Words related to combination

How to use combination in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for combination

Derived forms of combination