Suffix

Meanings

Sample Words and Definitions

-able

able to be

portable, preventable

-ac

pertaining to

cardiac, hemophiliac,

-acity (-ocity)

certain quality

velocity

-age

action or process

passage, voyage

-al

relating to

material, natural

-ance

state or quality of

Balance

-ant

a person who is

applicant,

inclined to, tending to

brilliant,

relating to, being

molecular, solar

a person who

beggar,

-ate

makes the word a verb (different pronunciation)

activate, evaporate

-tion

action or process

creation, narration, emancipation

-tive

tending to (adj.)

creative, talkative

-cy

state, condition or quality

efficiency, privacy,

-cycle

circle, wheel

bicycle, recycle, tricycle

-dom

condition of, state, realm

boredom, freedom, wisdom

-ee

receiver, performer

nominee, employee,

-ency

condition or quality

dependency, efficiency

-ent

one who performs/causes

competent, correspondent, absorben

-er

more

bigger, faster, happier

a person who does an action

announcer, barber, teacher

-est

most

funniest, hottest, silliest

-etic

relating to (makes the word an adj.)

athletic, energetic, poetic

-ful

full of

helpful, thankful, cheerful

-fy

make, cause (makes the word a verb)

amplify, terrify

-gon

angle

hexagon, septagon

-ar

Suffix

Meanings

Sample Words and Definitions

-hood

state, condition, or quality

childhood, neighborhood, motherhoo

-ial

relating to

material,

-ible

able to be

audible, legible

-ic/ical

relating to, characterized by

analytic/al, organic

-ily

in what manner

Steadily

-ing

materials

Roofing

action or process

dancing, seeing, writing

-ion

action or process

celebration, completion, navigation

-ious

having the qualities of, full of

ambitious, cautious, gracious

-ish

relating to, characteristic

Childish

-ism

state or quality

altruism, heroism

-ity

state, condition, or quality

abnormality, necessity

-ive

inclined to; quality of; that which

attractive, expensive

-ization

act or process of making

colonization, modernization

-ize

cause, treat, become

authorize, popularize

-less

without

fearless, helpless, homeless

-ly

in what manner

badly, courageously, happily

-ment

action, result

movement, shipment

-ness

state or quality (makes a noun)

kindness, weakness

-ology

study of, science of

anthropology, archaeology, biology

-or

a person who

inventor, legislator, translator

-ous

full of

humorous, vigorous

-ship

state or condition of, skill of

authorship, citizenship, friendship

-sion

state or quality

confusion, depression, tension

-tion

state or quality

attention, caution, fascination

-ward

specifies direction

backward, eastward, homeward

-wise

in what manner of direction

clockwise, lengthwise, otherwise