A złożeniec (plural: złożence) is a type of compound word in the Polish language, formed by combining two or more words, or parts of words, into a single lexical unit. The process, złożenie, is a significant method of word formation in Polish. Złożence often combine a verb stem and a noun stem, a noun stem and an adjective stem, or other combinations of grammatical categories. The parts are typically joined directly, or with the aid of interfixes (connecting vowels like -o-, -i-, -y-), which can sometimes alter the meanings or grammatical relations of the constituent parts. The resulting word then functions as a single grammatical unit, often a noun or adjective, with a new meaning derived from, but not always precisely equivalent to, the sum of its parts. The formation of złożence allows for a high degree of expressiveness and conciseness in the Polish language. The process is productive, meaning new złożence can be created to describe novel concepts or situations.
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