LATIN SUFFIXES

These are the most important Enghsh suffixes derived from Latin. They are arranged by usage:
adjective-forming, noun-forming, verb-forming.
Suffix

Meaning

Examplefs)

ADJECTIVE-FORMING SUFFIXES
-able
-ible
-iie

"able to be"
able to be, able to, tending to
able to be, able to, tending to
able to be, able to, tending to

-acious
-id
-itious
-ive
-ory
-ulous
-uous

tending
tending
tending
tending
tending
tending
tending

-am
-al, -iai, -eai
-an, -ean, -ian
-ane
-ar
-ary
-ic
-il(e)
-ine
-tic

"tending to"
to, inclined to
to, inclined to
to, characterized by
to, inclined to
to, serving for
to, inclined to
to, inclined to

"pertaining to"
pertaining to
pertaining to, like, belonging to,
having the character of
pertaining to, like, belonging to,
having the character of
pertaining to, like, belonging to,
having the character of
pertaining to, like, belonging to,
having the character of
pertaining to, connected with,
having the character of
pertaining to, like
pertaining to, like, belonging to,
having the character of
pertaining to, like, of
pertaining to, like

capable
flexible
docile

pugnacious
intrepid
surreptitious
instructive
prefatory
incredulous
tenuous

mountain
arboreal
Shakespearean
urbane
muscular
literary
volcanic
puerile
canine
rustic

Suffix

ExampleCs)

Meaning
"-ing" (present participle)

-ant
-ent, -lent

-mg

mutant
redolent

-ate
-it(e)

"possessing" (past participle)

possessing, being
possessing, being

inanimate
tripartite

-ific

"making"
making, causing

scientific

-(u)lent, -(o)lent
-ose, -iose
-ous, -ious, -eous

"full o f
flill of, disposed to
f u l l of
f u l l o f having the character of, like

fraudulent
verbose
bilious

NOUN-FORMING SUFFIXES
-acity
-acy
-ance,-ancy
-ence, -ency
-(i)tude
-ity, -ety, -ty
-(u)lence, -(o)lence
-imony
-or (Brit, -our)
-y

-and(um),
-(i)end(um)

-ary, -arium
-ory, -orium

"quality of, state o f (abstract qualities)

quality of being inclined to
rapacity
quality of being, quality of having
legacy
occupancy
quality/state of -ing, that which
audience
quality/state of -ing, that which
multitude
quality o f state of
quality o f state of
sobriety
state or quality o f
violence
quality of, state o f that which
alimony
tremor
state of
custody
quality o f state of, act of, result of
"that which must be"
that which must be -ed

agenda

"place for"
place for
place for

mortuary
conservatory

Suffix

Meaning

Example(s)

-ate

"office o f
office of, iiolders of the office of

potentate

-ion
-men
-ment
-ure

"act of, result o f (concrete nouns)

act of, state of, resuh of
action
result o f means o f act o f state of
regimen
result o f means o f act o f state of
regiment
act of
tenure

-or
-rix

"one who" (agent)

one who does, that which does
she who does

malefactor
aviatrix

"little" (diminutive)
-cie, -icle
-cule, -icule
-el
-et, -ette
- i l , -iie
-le
-ole
-uie

auricle
molecule
novel
palette
pupil
scruple
aureole
globule

little
little
little
little
little
little
little
little

VERB-FORMING SUFFIXES
'to'
-at(e)
-ite

to
to

officiate
expedite

-esce

"to begin" (inchoative)

to begin, become

convalesce

-ify, -efy

"to make"
to make

mollify