back-formation

ˌbæk fɔːrˈmeɪʃən

Definition

Definition of back-formation - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

linguistics

TECH.

process of forming new words by removing affixes

TECH.

Back-formation often results in new verbs from nouns.

derivation

word formation

word change

TECH.

word created by removing an affix from another word

TECH.

The word 'edit' is a back-formation from 'editor'.

derivation

retraction

reversion

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Origin of back-formation

English, back (reverse) + formation (creation)

Terms with back-formation included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.

wildcat

sports

offensive football formation with direct snap to running back

shotgun

sports

offensive football formation with the quarterback set back

Examples of back-formation in a sentence

Back-formation can simplify complex word structures.
'Burgle' is a back-formation from 'burglar'.
Laze' was formed as a back-formation from 'lazy'.

View all translations of back-formation

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:rétroformation, rétro-formation, ...
German:Rückbildung, ...
Italian:retroformazione, parola retroformata, ...
Spanish:retroformación, ...
Portuguese:retroformação, criação de palavra, ...
Chinese:逆构词法, 回构词, ...
Japanese:逆成, 逆成語, ...
Arabic:إشتقاق عكسي, اِرْتِداد صَرْفِي, ...
Hebrew:הֲיוֹצְרוּת בְּחִסּוּר תּוּסָפוֹת, הַשָּׁלָה, ...
Russian:обратное словообразование, обратное образование, ...
Ukrainian:зворотне утворення, ...
Hindi:बैक-फॉर्मेशन, ...
Bengali:ব্যাক-ফরমেশন, শব্দ গঠন, ...
Catalan:regressió, retroformació, ...
Czech:zpětné tvoření, retrográdní derivace, ...
Danish:tilbageformation, orddannelse, ...
Dutch:back-formation, back-formatie, ...
Greek:ανασχηματισμός, αναδρομική σχηματοποίηση, ...
Hungarian:elvonás, ...
Khmer:ការបង្កើតពាក្យថ្មីដោយដកបុព្វបទ ឬបច្ច័យចេញ, ពាក្យដែលបង្កើតឡើងដោយដកបុព្វបទ ឬបច្ច័យចេញពីពាក្យមួយទៀត, ...
Korean:역형성, 역형성어, ...
Persian:واژه‌سازی معکوس, کلمه برگرفته, ...
Polish:deformacja wsteczna, słowotwórstwo wsteczne, ...
Portuguese (BR):formação reversa, retroformação, ...
Romanian:retroformație, back-formation, ...
Swedish:backformation, bakbildning, ...
Thai:การสร้างคำย้อนกลับ, ...
Turkish:geri türetme, geri türetim, ...
Vietnamese:hậu tố, từ biến thể, ...

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Definition of back-formation - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

Origin of back-formation

Terms related to back-formation

Terms with back-formation included in their meaning

Examples of back-formation in a sentence

View all translations of back-formation

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery