What does "back-formation" mean?

The process by which a new word is formed from an older word by interpreting the former as a derivative of the latter, often by removing a morpheme (real or perceived) from the older word, such as the verb burgle, formed by removing -ar (perceived as an agent-noun suffix) from burglar.

What is a synonym for "back-formation"?

Common synonyms include: back-form.

Back-formation

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
The process by which a new word is formed from an older word by interpreting the former as a derivative of the latter, often by removing a morpheme (real or perceived) from the older word, such as the verb burgle, formed by removing -ar (perceived as an agent-noun suffix) from burglar. uncountable
2
a word invented (usually unwittingly by subtracting an affix) on the assumption that a familiar word derives from it wordnet
3
A word created in this way. countable
"Back-formations, such as "tambour" (for "play the tambourine"), are a staple of comedic wordplay."

Synonyms

All synonyms

back-form

Example

More examples

"Back-formations, such as "tambour" (for "play the tambourine"), are a staple of comedic wordplay."

Etymology

Coined by Scottish lexicographer and philologist James Murray in 1889; from back- + formation.

Related phrases

back-form

More for "back-formation"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.