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Robboe Posted 22 years ago
Grammar

-oriented

is "a strongly internationally-oriented company" acceptable? the hyphen ok?
  

Top answer

The hyphen is unnecessary, but I can't really argue that it's wrong . By putting the hyphen there you turn "internationally oriented" into a single concept, effectively, a single word. There is nothing to stop you doing this - you can do it to any phrase, for example "cat-and-dog", "time-of-day".

— Rommie

  • The hyphen is unnecessary, but I can't really argue that it's wrong .
  • By putting the hyphen there you turn "internationally oriented" into a single concept, effectively, a single word.
  • There is nothing to stop you doing this - you can do it to any phrase, for example "cat-and-dog", "time-of-day".
  • I can say that it would be an unusual thing to do, however, unless you had some good reason for grouping these words together so tightly.
  • Of course, the real purpose of marketing-talk (note the hyphen there) is usually to obfuscate the true meaning of the words and confuse the public.
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2 Answers
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The hyphen is unnecessary, but I can't really argue that it's wrong. By putting the hyphen there you turn "internationally oriented" into a single concept, effectively, a single word. There is nothing to stop you doing this - you can do it to any phrase, for example "cat-and-dog", "time-of-day". I can say that it would be an unusual thing to do, however, unless you had some good reason for
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Of course, "internationally oriented" is a contradiction in terms anyway, since the literal meaning of "oriented" is "facing the Orient" (derived as it is from the word Oriental).

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