PREFIXES, SUFFIXES, AND WORD ROOTS 175
SUFFIXES
The following table lists the most common English language suffixes, their mean-
ings, and examples of words with each suffix.
NOUN ENDINGS
SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLES
-age (a) action or process (b) house or place of (c) drainage, orphanage, marriage
state, rank
-al action or process rehearsal, disposal, reversal
-an, -ian of or relating to; a person specializing in guardian, pediatrician, historian
-ance, action or process; state of adolescence, benevolence,
-ence renaissance
-ancy, quality or state agency, vacancy, latency
-ency
-ant, -ent one that performs, promotes, or causes an disinfectant, dissident, miscreant
action; being in a specified state or condition
-ary thing belonging to or connected with adversary, dignitary, library
-cide killer, killing suicide, pesticide, homicide
-cy action or practice; state or quality of democracy, legitimacy, supremacy
-er, -or one that is, does, or performs builder, foreigner, sensor
-ion, -tion act or process; state or condition attraction, persecution, denunciation
-ism act, practice, or process; state or doctrine of criticism, anachronism, imperialism
-ist one who (performs, makes, produces, anarchist, feminist, imperialist
believes, etc.)
-ity quality, state, or degree clarity, amity, veracity
-ment action or process; result, object, means, entertainment, embankment,
or agent of an action or process amazement
-ness state, condition, quality or degree happiness, readiness, goodness
-ology doctrine, theory, or science; oral or biology, theology, eulogy
written expression
-or condition, activity candor, valor, succor
-sis process or action diagnosis, dialysis, metamorphosis
-ure act or process; office or function exposure, legislature, censure
-y state, condition, quality; activity or laundry, empathy, anarchy
place of business