Compound modifier — English definition
Two or more words working together as a single adjective before a noun, normally joined by a hyphen: a 'well-documented claim,' a 'nineteenth-century novel.'
Where it is taught
- Conventions & Usage — Language, Style & Conventions, English 11: American Voices, Identity & Public Memory, Grade 11
In use
One convention trips up even strong writers: the hyphen in a compound modifier.
Conventions & Usage