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Glite Dictionary
hyphenation

hyphenation

1 4.3
Dividing a word at the end of a line by using a small dash
  • noun
  • /ˌhaɪfəˈneɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : división de palabras
  • Another typographic boner: the Kindle still lacks hyphenation but insists upon fully justified text.

Examples

  • The teacher explained that hyphenation is essential for proper line breaks in written text.

  • Do not hyphenate any words at the end of lines; turn off hyphenation if your program has that option.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Some of the APA's hyphenation guidelines follow.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Full justification without hyphenation inevitably results in unsightly gaps between words on a few lines on each page.

    Blog text (15)

  • Discussion of hyphenation fills up five full pages of the APA stylebook, and APA's uses of hyphenation resemble many other up-to-date stylebooks.

    Academic text (2002)

  • In this document, you should avoid hyphenation at the end of lines to improve readability.

  • Hyphenation helps prevent awkward gaps in text by dividing long words at the end of a line.

Synonyms

word division
vshyphenation
  • Specialized
4.3

Separating a word into parts when it breaks at the end of a line in writing

uses a mark to join broken word parts at the end of a line

Surface Forms

hyphenation singular
hyphenations plural

Morphology

hyphenation = hyphenate (transparent) = hyphen + ate + ion

The transformation from 'hyphenate' to 'hyphenation' is a standard noun formation indicating the process or act.

Etymology

Hyphenation comes from the word hyphen, which itself comes from a Greek word meaning 'together'. That's why hyphenation is the act of using that small joining mark to split or join a word at the end of a line.