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Is hyphenation preferred with "cutting-edge" and "state-of-the-art" when they follow a form of the verb to-be?

Yes or no to the hyphenation below?

The new software was cutting-edge.

The technology is state-of-the-art.

I think the hyphens make for an easier initial read. Do you concur?

Thank you.

Edwin Ashworth
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whippoorwill
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  • @EdwinAshworth Perhaps the Qs can be merged, but the other post has no satisfactory, canonical answer (the question per se may not have one, which is a different matter.) – Kris Jan 12 '15 at 13:06
  • It's actually answered as well as is probably possible at the “object-oriented” vs “object oriented” thread. The above link links to this hard-to-find parallel question. Of course, individual quirks must be checked individually in dictionaries (which may well disagree). – Edwin Ashworth Jan 12 '15 at 16:25

2 Answers2

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  1. Depending on extent and frequency of usage, such phrases acquire a status of their own over time. On a case by case, check if the phrase has dropped the hyphens; and if the words of the phrase moved closer to form a single word, even. Refer to a good dictionary each time.

  2. In most instances, a hyphenated version of the phrase is used for the adjective while the noun form may have dropped the hyphen.

See ODO:

cutting edge n. "the party’s campaign began to lose its cutting edge" cutting-edge adj. "If you are a scientist, you may have pioneered cutting-edge technology."

And, (ODO)

modifier: He said the new kitchen is much more modern and state of the art, …

but

a new state-of-the-art hospital

Note that

Community
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Kris
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I'd reserve the hyphenation for cases where their use is purely adjectival.

Martin
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