hyphenated

American  

[hahy-fuh-ney-tid] / ˈhaɪ fəˌneɪ tɪd /

adjective

Informal.

1. of, relating to, or designating a person, group, or organization of mixed origin or identity.

   an Irish-American club and other hyphenated organizations.

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hyphenated British  

/ ˈhaɪfəˌneɪtɪd /

adjective

1. containing or linked with a hyphen

2. having a nationality denoted by a hyphenated word, as in American-Irish

3. denoting something, such as a professional career, that consists of two elements, as in singer-songwriter

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Other Word Forms

• unhyphenated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hyphenated

First recorded in 1890–95; hyphenate + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Versions with and without the hyphen have been used in the past, but a 1960 Privy Council announcement used the hyphenated version, which will be used from now on.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Such hyphenated Americans, he said, felt a “degree of accepted and reasonable pride,” and had succeeded in connecting “their heritage to their mother country” and also to “where they are now” in America.

From Salon • Aug. 17, 2024

The cards had room for only a limited number of characters, and could not accommodate hyphenated or multi-word surnames like Bald Eagle Bear, so hundreds of names got scrambled.

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2023

Married in May to Andre Levrone, a former NFL receiver, she now prefers to be known by her hyphenated last name, she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2022

With a hyphenated surname, she would no longer fit into the window of a business envelope.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri