hyphenate

[ verb hahy-fuh-neyt; adjective, noun hahy-fuh-nit, -neyt ]

/ verb ˈhaɪ fəˌneɪt; adjective, noun ˈhaɪ fə nɪt, -ˌneɪt /

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verb (used with object), hy·phen·at·ed, hy·phen·at·ing.

to join by a hyphen.

to write or divide with a hyphen.

adjective

of or relating to something of distinct form or origin that has been joined; connected by a hyphen.

noun

Informal. a person working or excelling in more than one craft or occupation: He's a film-industry hyphenate, usually listed as a writer-director-producer.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

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Origin of hyphenate

First recorded in 1850–55; hyphen + -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM hyphenate

hy·phen·a·tion, noun

Words nearby hyphenate

hypha, hyphedonia, hyphema, hyphemia, hyphen, hyphenate, hyphenated, hyphen help, hyphenize, hyphidrosis, hyphopodium

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

How to use hyphenate in a sentence

The idea of the multi-hyphenate creator was something that came after I had started working in this industry, so it was eye-opening and exciting that all of these avenues were available to me to express myself.
Natasha Rothwell Says Goodbye to Insecure—And Hello to the Future|Cady Lang|December 27, 2021|Time
Rihanna is the poster child for the millennial multi-hyphenate.
Sally Rooney and the Art of the Millennial Novel|Cady Lang|September 3, 2021|Time
For the contemporary sports superstar as multi-hyphenate, Jordan is the blueprint and he’s set the bar high.
Debating How Space Jam: A New Legacy Stacks Up Against the Original|Cady Lang|July 19, 2021|Time
Unlike Gibson, Tom Cruise is not a multi-hyphenate who can retreat behind the camera.
Tom Cruise's Career Rehab Secrets|Kim Masters|March 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Index entries tend to not hyphenate words that are unhyphenated in the text.
The Life of Isaac Ingalls Stevens, Volume II (of 2)|Hazard Stevens
Frequently the printer made an mistake and forgot to hyphenate all or part of a word.
Young Folks' Bible in Words of Easy Reading|Josephine Pollard
Hyphenate compounds of great in phrases indicating degrees of descent; great-grandmother, great-great-grandfather.
Compound Words|Frederick W. Hamilton
Hyphenate compounds of life and world; life-history, world-influence, but (by exception) lifetime.
Compound Words|Frederick W. Hamilton
Hyphenate compounds of master; master-builder, master-stroke, but (by exception) masterpiece.
Compound Words|Frederick W. Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for hyphenate

hyphenate

hyphen

/ (ˈhaɪfəˌneɪt) /

verb

(tr) to separate (syllables, words, etc) with a hyphen

Derived forms of hyphenate

hyphenation, noun

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