Yes, ionic compounds are formed by the chemical combination of a metal and a nonmetal. The metal atoms lose electrons to the nonmetal atoms, resulting in the formation of positively charged metal ions and negatively charged nonmetal ions. These ions are then attracted to each other by electrostatic forces, forming an ionic compound.

For example, in the ionic compound sodium chloride (NaCl), the sodium atoms lose one electron each to the chlorine atoms, forming Na+ ions and Cl- ions. These ions are then arranged in a regular, repeating crystal lattice, forming the ionic compound NaCl.