Meanings
plural back-formations · alternative backformation · alternative back formation
- uncountablehuman sciencesThe 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.
- countableA word created in this way.
Back-formations, such as tambour (for “play the tambourine”), are a staple of comedic wordplay.
Synonyms: back-form
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA word created in this way.
Origin
From back- + formation. Coined by British lexicographer and philologist, primary editor of the Oxford English Dictionary James Murray in 1888.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic اشْتِقَاق عَكْسِيّ, مُشْتَقَّة عَكْسِيًّا
- اشْتِقَاق عَكْسِيّ (ištiqāq ʕaksiyy)linguistic process
- مُشْتَقَّة عَكْسِيًّاword formed by this linguistic process
Danish subtraktionsdannelse, subtraktionsdannelse
- subtraktionsdannelselinguistic process
- subtraktionsdannelseword formed by this linguistic process
Dutch terugvorming
- terugvorminglinguistic process
Esperanto retrodeveno
- retrodevenolinguistic process
Finnish takaperoisjohto, takaperoisjohdos
- takaperoisjohtolinguistic process
- takaperoisjohdosword formed by this linguistic process
French dérivation inverse, rétroformation
- dérivation inverselinguistic process
- rétroformationlinguistic process
German Rückbildung, Rückbildung
- Rückbildunglinguistic process
- Rückbildungword formed by this linguistic process
Greek αναδρομικός σχηματισμός, αναδρομικός σχηματισμός
- αναδρομικός σχηματισμός (anadromikós schimatismós)linguistic process
- αναδρομικός σχηματισμός (anadromikós schimatismós)word formed by this linguistic process
Hebrew גְּזִירָה לְאָחוֹר
- גְּזִירָה לְאָחוֹר (gzira leakhor)linguistic process
Hungarian elvonás, szóelvonás
- elvonáslinguistic process
- szóelvonáslinguistic process
- elvonásword formed by this linguistic process
Italian retroformazione
- retroformazionelinguistic process
Japanese 逆成
- 逆成 (gyakusei)linguistic process
Norwegian Bokmål tilbakedannelse, tilbakedanning
- tilbakedannelselinguistic process
- tilbakedanninglinguistic process
- tilbakedannelseword formed by this linguistic process
- tilbakedanningword formed by this linguistic process
Polish derywacja wsteczna, derywat wsteczny
- derywacja wstecznalinguistic process
- derywat wstecznyword formed by this linguistic process
Portuguese derivação regressiva
- derivação regressivalinguistic process
Romanian derivare regresivă
- derivare regresivălinguistic process
Russian обра̀тное словообразова́ние
- обра̀тное словообразова́ние (obràtnoje slovoobrazovánije)linguistic process
Spanish derivación regresiva, derivado regresivo
- derivación regresivalinguistic process
- derivado regresivoword formed by this linguistic process
Swedish omvänd ordbildning
- omvänd ordbildninglinguistic process
Vietnamese phái sinh ngược
- phái sinh ngượclinguistic process
Welsh ôl-ffurfiad, ôl-ffurf
- ôl-ffurfiadlinguistic process
- ôl-ffurfword formed by this linguistic process
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with back-formation
Cite this entry
back-formation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back-formation
“back-formation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back-formation. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back-formation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back-formation.
Source: back-formation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.