General
multi-hyphenate
What does multi-hyphenate mean?
Someone who holds and identifies with multiple professional roles at once, such as writer-director-producer or designer-founder-consultant, reflecting a portfolio career.
"Her business card can't fit it all: she's a multi-hyphenate designer-podcaster-coach."
Origin
Originating in entertainment-industry descriptions, broadened to portfolio careers in the 2010s-2020s.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 'multi-hyphenate'?
It's someone who holds and identifies with several professional roles at once, like writer-director-producer or designer-founder-consultant.
Where does the term come from?
It originated in entertainment-industry descriptions and broadened to portfolio careers through the 2010s and 2020s.
Why is it called 'multi-hyphenate'?
Because such a person's title strings multiple roles together with hyphens, reflecting a portfolio career rather than a single job.
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