combination
Pluralcombinations
- 1Two or more things joined or mixed together, or the act of joining them.
Like an alloy, where two metals melt together into a single new material.
The recipe's success comes from an unusual combination of spices.
Modern skylines are often a combination of steel, glass, and concrete.
UsageUsually a combination of things: a combination of garlic and lemon. Also in combination with: used in combination with exercise.
- 2The series of numbers or letters that opens a combination lock.
Like a PIN code that unlocks your phone.
Only the manager knew the combination to the safe.
The thieves tried thousands of combinations before the vault opened.
UsageUsually the combination to a lock or safe: forgot the combination to her bike lock.
- 3A selection of elements from a set, where the order of selection does not matter.
Like choosing which friends to invite to dinner: who comes matters, but the order you list them does not.
Choosing three pizza toppings from a list of ten gives 120 possible combinations.
The lottery asks each player to choose a single combination of six numbers.
UsageCompare permutation, where the order does matter.
Note
Mathematics draws a strict line here: order does not count. Choosing a, b and c gives the same combination as choosing c, b and a, so the same items picked in any sequence count only once. The number of k-item combinations drawn from n items is the binomial coefficient, read "n choose k." That is why three toppings chosen from ten give exactly 120 combinations.
Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Combinations ignore order, so selecting a, b and c in different sequences gives the same combination. en.wikipedia.org
- The number of k-item combinations from n distinct items is the binomial coefficient, pronounced "n choose k." mathworld.wolfram.com
- Choosing three distinct toppings from ten gives 120 combinations. math.unm.edu
- 4A group or alliance of people who have joined together for a shared purpose.
Like a coalition of nations pooling their strength for one aim.
The merchants created a combination to fix prices across the region.
Nineteenth-century mill owners formed a powerful combination to keep wages low across the valley.
Similaralliance, coalition, cartel, association, league
Less common meanings
- 5In boxing and other combat sports, a quick series of punches or strikes thrown in succession.
Like a drummer playing a rapid roll of beats in quick succession.
He stunned his opponent with a crisp combination in the third round.
The fighter slipped the jab and answered with a sharp combination.
UsageFighters throw or land a combination.
- 6In chess, a series of forcing or nearly forcing moves, often starting with a sacrifice, that wins an advantage.
Like a magician's setup, where an early sacrifice sets up a winning finish.
The grandmaster uncorked a brilliant combination, sacrificing a rook to force mate.
A well-calculated combination can turn a losing position into a win.
UsagePlayers see, calculate or find a combination.
Note
In chess the word means more than a run of good moves. Each move must force or nearly force the reply, leaving the opponent no time to regroup. A combination usually opens with a sacrifice, meaning material given up on purpose, and repays it with a concrete gain, whether material, position or checkmate.
- 7A shot in which the cue ball strikes one ball, which in turn strikes another ball on the table.
Like a chain reaction, where hitting the first ball sets the second one moving.
He called the combination, tapping the five into the nine for the win.
A long combination across the table is hard to control.
UsageAlso called a combination shot; a player calls or sinks a combination.
Note
The skill lies in the second contact. The cue ball only sets the first object ball moving, so the player must judge the angle at which that ball meets the one meant for the pocket. In called-shot games the player names only the target ball and pocket; the combination itself need not be called.
- 8A motorcycle together with an attached sidecar, treated as a single vehicle.
Practice
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Origin
This word entered Middle English as "combinacioun" via Old French "combination", from Late Latin "combīnātiō". It is formed from "combine" plus the suffix "-ation".
Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- The word came through Middle English combinacioun and Old French combination from Late Latin combīnātiō. en.wiktionary.org
- The word is morphologically analysable as combine plus -ation. en.wiktionary.org