compound adjective An adjective formed from two or more words that function as a unit.
Before Noun | After Noun |
after-school activities | activities after school |
well-known athlete | athlete who is well known |
When a compound adjective precedes a noun, the hyphen clarifies that the compound functions as a unit.
When two different prefixes or initial words go with the same second word, use a hyphen and a space at the end of the first prefix or word.
Note: Some compound adjectives are nearly always hyphenated, before or after a noun, including those beginning with all- or self-. Check a dictionary if you are not sure whether a hyphen is needed.
adverb A word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
adjective A word that modifies a noun or a pronoun, adding information about it.
participle A verb form showing present tense (dancing, freezing) or past tense (danced, frozen) that can also act as an adjective.
A compound with an -ly adverb preceding an adjective or a participle is always left as two words.