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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

• unhyphenated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hyphenated

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

Example Sentences

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 claim also defended Villanueva’s use of the inspector general’s full name, noting that his longer, hyphenated name is included on some public records websites as well as on his desk plaque.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2024

Some of the droves who looked up “gaslighting” this year might have wanted to know, simply, if it’s one or two words, or whether it’s hyphenated.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 27, 2022

On Friday, Mr. Pence delivered an energetic and well-received speech that ticked through the accomplishments of what he called the “Trump-Pence” administration, mentioning Mr. Trump’s name only once and in that hyphenated context.

From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2022

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

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri