Suffixes are groups of letters attached to the ends of roots, words, and word groups. Suffixes serve a grammatical function. A suffix can indicate what part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) the word belongs to. Suffixes can also change and extend the meaning. The following suffixes are grouped beneath the grammatical function they perform.



NOUNS

Nouns perform the function of naming. Nouns name persons, places animals or things, as well as groups, ideas and qualities. In a sentence, nouns can be subjects, objects, or appositives.


A


-acy, -cy
Noun: state or quality
privacy: the state of being alone
priv + acy
infancy: the state of being a baby or young child
in + fan + cy
-age
Noun: activity, or result of action
courage : having the spirit to overcome fear
cour + age
-al ,el, ul
Noun: action, result of action
referral : the action of directing a person to another place, person or thing
re + ferr + al
-an
Noun: person
artisan : a craftsperson
arti + san
-ance, -ence
Noun: action, state, quality or process
resistance : the action of opposing something
re + sist + ance
independence: the state of not being under the control of others, free, self-governing
in + de + pend + ence
-ancy, -ency
Noun: state, quality or capacity
vacancy : an empty room or position
vac + ancy
agency: the capacity to exert power or influence, a position or person that performs a function
ag + ency
-ant, -ent
Noun: an agent, something that performs the action
disinfectant : an agent that destroys germs, somthing that cleans
dis + in + fect + ant
dependent: a thing supported by another, a thing determined by another
de + pend + ent
-ate
Noun: state, office, fuction
candidate : a person nominated for an office or position
candid + ate
-ation
Noun: action, resulting state
specialization : the result of being distinguished by one quality or ability
spec + ial + iz + ation




D


-dom
Noun: place, state of being
wisdom : possessing knowledge
wis + dom




E


-er, -or
Noun: person or thing that does something
porter : a person who carries things
port + er
collector: a person who collects or gathers things
col + lect + or




F


-ful
Noun: an amount or quanity that fills
mouthful : an amount that fills the mouth
mouth + ful




I


-ian, an
Noun: related to, one that is
pedestrian : a person who walks
ped + estr + ian
human: a person
hum + an
-ia
Noun: names, diseases
phobia : an illogical fear of something
phob + ia
-iatry
Noun: art of healing
psychiatry : branch of medicine that deals with the mind and emotions
psych + iatry
-ic, ics
Noun: related to the arts and sciences
arithmetic : a branch of math that usually deals with non-negative numbers
arithm + et + ic
economics: the social science related to studying business
eco + nom + ics
-ice
Noun: act
malice : the desire to do evil
mal + ice
-ing
Noun: material made for, activity, result of an activity
flooring : a material made for floors
floor + ing
swimming: the activity of swimming or moving through water
swim(m) + ing
building: the result of making a structure
build + ing
-ion
Noun: condition or action
abduction : the action of carrying someone away by force
ab + duct + ion
-ism
Noun: doctrine, belief, action or conduct
formalism : a belief in sticking to prescribed forms or artistic styles
form + al + ism
-ist
Noun: person or member
podiatrist : a foot doctor
pod + iatr + ist
-ite
Noun: product or part
graphite : a black material used in making pencils
graph + ite
-ity, ty
Noun: state or quality
lucidity : clear thinking
luc + id + ity
novelty: something new or unusual
nov + el + ty
-ive
Noun: condition
native : a person born in a specific place
nat + ive




M


-ment
Noun: condition or result
document : an official paper usually showing proof or evidence of something
docu + ment




N


-ness
Noun: state, condition, quality
kindness : the quality of being kind or nice
kind + ness