combination
combination Lexical Profile
combination Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A joining or merging of different parts, qualities, or things in which the component elements are individually distinct, or the resulting mixture.
"The dish succeeds because of its unusual combination of sweet and savory flavors."
A specific sequence of numbers or letters used to open a keyless lock.
"She wrote down the combination to the office safe and stored it in a secure drawer."
In mathematics, a selection of a given number of elements from a larger set without regard to the order in which they are arranged.
"The probability textbook explains how to calculate every possible five-card combination from a standard deck."
An alliance or association of individuals, businesses, or states united to achieve a common commercial or political purpose.
"Small independent railways formed a combination to negotiate better freight rates across the region."
Word Nuance & Usage
In mathematics, a 'combination' refers to a selection of items where the order does not matter, whereas a 'permutation' refers to an arrangement where the exact order is significant (making a 'combination lock' technically a permutation lock).
• Rhymes for combination
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Late Latin combinatio ('a joining by twos'), from the verb combinare, formed from com- ('together') and bini ('two by two').