What is the meaning of back-formation?

noun

  • A word invented (usually unwittingly by subtracting an affix) on the assumption that a familiar word derives from it. .
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). back-formation. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/back-formation/definitions/1215809
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "back-formation" http://smartdefine.org/back-formation/definitions/1215809 (accessed September 21, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, back-formation, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/back-formation/definitions/1215809>.
MLAWordNet. "back-formation" 23 October 2010. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/back-formation/definitions/1215809>