1. A compound adjective is formed when two or more adjectives work together to modify the same noun. These terms should be hyphenated to avoid confusion or ambiguity.
Incorrect: The black and blue mark suggested that he had been involved in an altercation.
Correct: The black-and-blue mark suggested that he had been involved in an altercation.
Incorrect: Her fifteen minute presentation proved decisive to the outcome of the case.
Correct: Her fifteen-minute presentation proved decisive to the outcome of the case.
2. However, combining an adverb (usually a word ending in "ly") and an adjective does not create a compound adjective. No hyphen is required because it is already clear that the adverb modifies the adjective rather than the subsequent noun.
Incorrect: The remarkably-hot day turned into a remarkably-long week.
Correct: The remarkably hot day turned into a remarkably long week.
3. Furthermore, you should not place a hyphen in a compound adjective if the adjectives are capitalized, such as when they are part of a title.
Correct: His book was entitled, "Gender Neutral Language in English Usage," and it revolutionized the way people think about sex roles.
However: His book on gender-neutral language revolutionized the way people think about sex roles.
Correct: The students were participants in Chicago-Kent's vaunted Legal Research and Writing Program.
The correct spelling of "nonexclusive" is nonexclusive, without a hyphen. This compound word is formed by combining the prefix "non-" meaning "not" or "without" with the word "exclusive," meaning "not excluding any particular group or individual." When written as one word, "nonexclusive" functions as an adjective to describe something that is not limited to just one specific group or individual.
Yes, "self-conscious" is a hyphenated adjective. The two words do not separately modify the subject.
The correct spelling is "full-time" with a hyphen when used as an adjective, such as in "full-time job." When used as a noun or adverb, it can be written as "full time" without a hyphen.
The US elected official is the Vice President, without a hyphen. Both hyphenated and unhyphenated variants exist for similar business positions. The hyphen is more often seen in the adjective form vice-presidential.
It is acceptable to spell "nonviolence" both with and without a hyphen.
Compound adjectives are formed when you use two or more adjectives that are joined together with a hyphen to modify the same noun. She had a three-year-old cat is an example of a compound adjective in a sentence.
No, "well liked" does not need a hyphen. It is an adjective phrase where "well" modifies "liked," and they are commonly used together without a hyphen. Hyphens are typically used in compound adjectives that precede a noun, but in this case, "well liked" is used as a predicate adjective or after the noun.
When used as an adjective compound, "out of the box" should be hyphenated. Example, "The out-of-the-box themes are very easy to use."
No, decision making does not have a hyphen. It is considered a compound noun that is used without a hyphen.
A compound word
No. The term "biggest" has no hyphen. The slang compound adjective "biggest-ever" would.
Yes, you can use a hyphen in a three-syllable word to separate its component parts or to indicate a compound adjective.
A compound adjective is a single adjective made up of more than one word (e.g., ten-seater bus , free-range eggs). The words in a compound adjective are often linked together with a hyphen (or hyphens) to show they are part of the same adjective.
Always. ----- It's a compound adjective, a sort of "in situ" (Lat.). When the words are not connected, there is no hyphen.
Always. ----- It's a compound adjective, a sort of "in situ" (Lat.). When the words are not connected, there is no hyphen.
The term "star-shaped" does have a hyphen when used as a compound adjective before a noun, such as in "star-shaped object." However, when used after a noun, the hyphen is typically omitted, as in "The object is star shaped."
Yes, "people-oriented" should be hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun, such as in "a people-oriented approach." The hyphen helps clarify that the two words function together as a single descriptor. However, when used after a noun, it typically appears without a hyphen, as in "This approach is people oriented."