Hyphenless

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Written as a single word without an intervening hyphen to separate its component parts
2. Composed of multiple elements joined together without the use of a hyphen between them
3. Formed by combining word elements directly together without a hyphenating mark to divide them

Etymology: "Hyphenless" is about as transparent as English compounds get: it joins "hyphen," the small mark (from Greek "hyphen," "together" or "under one"), to the suffix "-less," which means "without." Put together, it describes something that lacks a hyphen, such as a compound written as a single unbroken word or a phrase printed without its connecting dash. The interest lies mostly in the pairing itself. "Hyphen" is a Greek-derived term, while "-less" is a native English suffix descended from the Old English word "leas," meaning "free from" or "lacking." Combining a classical loanword with a Germanic suffix is an ordinary English habit, which is why the word feels so natural even though it is a fairly recent formation.