back-formations

A form of back-formation — 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.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of back-formation
Cite this entry
APA

back-formations. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back-formations

MLA

“back-formations.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back-formations. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “back-formations,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/back-formations.

Source: back-formations on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.