Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Combination has 8 different meanings across 1 category:
a collection of things that have been combined; an assemblage of separate parts or qualities
"The chef praised the unique flavor combination in the dish, noting how sweet and savory notes blended perfectly together."
a coordinated sequence of chess moves
"The grandmaster explained that his winning position came from executing a precise combination to trap the opponent's queen."
a sequence of numbers or letters that opens a combination lock
"he forgot the combination to the safe"
a group of people (often temporary) having a common purpose
"they were a winning combination"
an alliance of people or corporations or countries for a special purpose (formerly to achieve some antisocial end but now for general political or economic purposes)
"The new international combination of nations pledged their resources to stabilize the region's economy."
the act of arranging elements into specified groups without regard to order
"The biologist explained that her research focused on calculating how many distinct genetic combinations could arise from shuffling those alleles, where the sequence mattered less than which genes ended up together."
the act of combining things to form a new whole
"The chef marveled at how she created a unique flavor by simply mixing fresh herbs and citrus juice into the sauce."
The act of combining, the state of being combined or the result of combining.
"The combination of fresh herbs and lemon juice gave the sauce a bright, zesty flavor."
In plain English: A combination is when two or more things are put together to make something new.
"The combination of salty and sweet flavors in this dish makes it very popular."
Usage: Use "combination" to describe two or more things joined together to form a single unit, such as a lock code or a meal pairing. Do not use it to refer to the simple action of joining items, which is better expressed with the verb "combine."
The word "combination" traveled into English through the Old French term combination, which itself came from Late Latin combīnātiō. This original form was built from the verb meaning to join or unite plus a suffix indicating an action or result, reflecting its core sense of things being put together.