hyphenated
adjective
- connected or separated with a hyphen
- ☆ of or pertaining to a citizen of a country who is identified with the ethnic group or nationality of his or her forebears and, typically, designated by a hyphenated compound: hyphenated Americans, such as Chinese-Americans, Polish-Americans, etc.
See hyphenated in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(hīˈfə-nāˌtĭd)
adjective- Having a hyphen: a hyphenated adjective.
- Often Offensive Of or relating to naturalized citizens or their descendants or culture.
Usage Note: Naturalized immigrants to the United States and their descendants have sometimes been termed
hyphenated Americans in reference to the tendency to hyphenate such ethnic compounds as
Irish-American and
Polish-American. This term has come under strong criticism as suggesting that those so designated are not as fully American as “unhyphenated” citizens, and it is best avoided in all but historical contexts.
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