The two-word term brand new is correct as the noun form. E.g., “The car he bought is brand new.” Furthermore, the compound term brand-new is an adjective you can use to describe a noun. E.g., “I am wearing my brand-new suit tonight.”
There are two correct spelling versions of the term brand new, and the grammar rules state that one is an adjective and the other is a noun.
For the noun form, you should write it as two separate words without a hyphen. In these cases, the thing that brand new refers to comes before the term itself.
- His clothes were brand new this morning, and now they are filthy.
- The toy she got for her birthday was brand new, yet it’s already broken.
- The video game console was brand new when he first got it, but now it has scratches all over.
- We received a donation of several brand new laptops for our school.
In comparison, the second form of the term is a compound word with a hyphen between the two words. In this form, brand-new is an adjective and the noun it describes always comes straight after.
- I bought some brand-new clothes for the wedding.
- He was excited to drive his brand-new car off the lot.
- She couldn’t wait to put on her brand-new heels for the party.
- The team was equipped with brand-new gear for the upcoming season.
Furthermore, when writing a text that follows AP Style, you should hyphenate the adjective but write the noun as two separate words.
Moreover, there are no differences between the rules in the UK and the US.
Using hyphenated terms correctly is not an easy task. Therefore, you should read the rest of the page to fully understand the different versions of the term brand new, and make sure you do not make a mistake when using them.
Brand New
The term brand new as two words is a correct spelling version for the noun form. The term brand new is basically a way of emphasizing that something is new.
Here are some good example sentences showing you how to use brand new without a hyphen:
- I don’t want to get my sneakers dirty because they are brand new.
- I just bought this book, and it’s brand new.
- The phone was still in its box, completely brand new.
- I was surprised to see that the equipment was brand new, given the age of the facility.
- I didn’t expect the appliance to malfunction so quickly; it was brand new!
- The laptop still had its protective cover on, indicating it was brand new.
As you can see in the above examples, the thing that the noun brand new refers to comes before the term brand new. So, on these occasions, you can be sure you do not need a hyphen.
Brand-New
Brand-new with a hyphen is correct as a compound adjective. This means that you use it when you want to modify the noun that comes immediately after brand-new.
Have a look at these example sentences that use the word brand-new with a hyphen:
- She looks great in her brand-new dress.
- He showed off his brand-new watch during the party.
- The kitchen was equipped with brand-new appliances.
- We took a ride in her brand-new convertible.
- The company released its brand-new software update today.
- I can’t wait to try out these brand-new headphones.
If the noun comes anywhere except after the term brand-new, you should remove the hyphen.
Brandnew
The term brandnew is incorrect if you do not include the hyphen or write the term as two words.
As a noun, you should write the term as two words without a hyphen.
As shown in thess examples:
- Correct: The car that he crashed was brand new.
- Incorrect: The car that he crashed was brandnew.
- Correct: I couldn’t believe he sold the guitar; it was brand new!
- Incorrect: I couldn’t believe he sold the guitar; it was brandnew!
- Correct: I received a book that was brand new as a gift for my birthday.
- Incorrect: I received a book that was brandnew as a gift for my birthday.
Alternatively, you can use brand-new with a hyphen, which in this form is a compound adjective. When brand-new is an adjective, the noun it describes will always come directly afterward.
As shown in these examples:
- Correct: Mary is wearing her brand-new shoes for her date.
- Incorrect: Mary is wearing her brandnew shoes for her date.
- Correct: Jack was proud of his brand-new motorcycle.
- Incorrect: Jack was proud of his brandnew motorcycle.
- Correct: She showcased her brand-new artwork at the gallery.
- Incorrect: She showcased her brandnew artwork at the gallery.
That’s all we wanted to share with you about using brand new, brand-new, and brandnew in your writing!
Remember that you can always come back and review our example sentences if you ever find yourself in doubt about the rules.