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What is the most appropriate hyphenation for this term for a person who seeks approval from others?

  1. "social-approval seeker"
  2. "social approval-seeker"
  3. "social-approval-seeker"
  4. "social approval seeker"
  5. something else?

EDIT: To clarify, I mean to describe "a seeker of social approval", rather than "an approval seeker who is social".

ᴇʟᴇvᴀтᴇ
  • 1,715
  • The implication in 'the correct hyphenation for this term ...' is that such a term exists. Have you found examples? If so, how do they hyphenate? If not, it's not idiomatic, and 'a person who seeks approval from others' may be the best on offer. The term looks ungainly however hyphenated, and the unhyphenated form may be least bad (it's hardly going to be ambiguous). Probably your first example best fits with the rules-of-thumb on offer (a seeker of social approval). – Edwin Ashworth Jun 04 '20 at 10:53
  • Thanks. I've changed "correct" to "most appropriate". – ᴇʟᴇvᴀтᴇ Jun 04 '20 at 11:00
  • The response still applies. // GrammarBook.com includes: << Rule 2b << When writing out new, original, or unusual compound nouns, writers should hyphenate whenever doing so avoids confusion.

    Examples: 'I changed my diet and became a no-meater.' No-meater is too confusing without the hyphen.

    'The slacker was a video gamer.' Video gamer is clear without a hyphen, although some writers might prefer to hyphenate it. >> So, as social and approval are most closely associated, option (1). Not a 'social [approval seeker]'.

     – Edwin Ashworth Jun 04 '20 at 11:13
  • Does this answer your question? When should com­pound words be writ­ten as one word, with hy­phens, or with spaces? (see Mehper's answer; a link to the GrammarBook advice is given.) What the advice doesn't include is 'It is often better to avoid more awkward original compoundings, especially in formal writing.' – Edwin Ashworth Jun 04 '20 at 11:14
  • As a potential alternative I give you: people-pleaser. Dehyphen at will. – Jiminy Cricket. Jun 04 '20 at 11:40
  • People-pleaser does not have the right connotations. I am talking about people on social media who jump on the latest bandwagon and virtue-signal in an attempt to gain the approval of the people in their social bubbles. – ᴇʟᴇvᴀтᴇ Jun 04 '20 at 12:56
  • Edwin, I also thought that (1) was the most appropriate option for the reasons you stated. Thank you for the link to that answer. – ᴇʟᴇvᴀтᴇ Jun 04 '20 at 12:57
  • What do you mean to say? A seeker of *social approval* is something different from an approval seeker who is *social*. An appropriate hyphenation cannot be recommended until you define exactly what you're trying to describe. – Jason Bassford Jun 04 '20 at 16:58
  • @JasonBassford I've edited my question to clarify. – ᴇʟᴇvᴀтᴇ Jun 04 '20 at 17:47
  • With the clarification, the only version that's explicitly wrong is 2. It's a matter of style and personal opinion which of the other options somebody would use. (I personally would use 1., but don't think 4. would normally be misconstrued. 3. is less common, but by no means wrong.) – Jason Bassford Jun 04 '20 at 18:03

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