WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
hy•phen•ate /ˈhaɪfəˌneɪt/USA pronunciation
v., -at•ed, -at•ing, adj., n.
v. [~ + object]
adj.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026v. [~ + object]
- to join by a hyphen:How do you decide whether to hyphenate two words, or to spell them as two separate words?
- to write or divide with a hyphen.
adj.
- hyphenated.
n. [countable]
- a person working in more than one craft or occupation:She was a hyphenate who had gained fame as a writer-director-producer.
- a person of mixed national origin or identity:A Korean-American is a hyphenate.
hy•phen•ate
(v. hī′fə nāt′;adj., n. hī′fə nit, -nāt′),USA pronunciation v., -at•ed, -at•ing, adj., n.
v.t.
adj.
n.
hy′phen•a′tion, n.
v.t.
- to join by a hyphen.
- to write or divide with a hyphen.
adj.
- of or pertaining to something of distinct form or origin that has been joined;
connected by a hyphen.
n.
- [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.
- hyphen + -ate1 1850–55