combined

Combined is a word used as an adjective and as the past participle of the verb combine. As an adjective, it describes something formed by uniting two or more elements, parts, or sources. It can also refer to a total that results from combining several components, such as a combined score, combined output, or combined measurements.

Etymology: The term derives from the verb combine, which itself comes from Latin combinare, formed from con- "together" and an element related to "two" or "double" (often associated with binus or bi-). The form combined appears in English by the 15th century.

Uses: In engineering and energy, the phrase combined heat and power, or CHP, denotes systems that generate electricity and capture usable heat in a single process. A combined cycle power plant uses a gas turbine and a steam turbine to improve efficiency. In transport and industry, combined systems merge multiple subsystems into one.

In statistics and finance, combined data or a combined total refers to values gathered from multiple sources or categories. In sports, the term is used for events that accumulate results across multiple disciplines, as in the decathlon or heptathlon, which are described as combined events.

Grammar: Combined is frequently used with with to connect factors, as in "the combined effect" or "the combined total." It can also describe partnerships or mergers, as in "the combined company" or "a combined approach."

See also: combination, combine, combinatorics, combined cycle, combined heat and power.