Student Academic Resource Center
Understanding Suffixes
Suffix
Meaning
Example
Definition
-able, -ible
-acy
-age
-al
-ance, -ence
-ant
-arium, -orium
-ary
-ate
-ation, -ition
-dom
-er
-esque
-ess
-ferous
-ful
-hood
-ic
-ify, -fy
-ile
-ish
-ism
-itis
-ive
-ize
-ism
-less
-let
-ling
-ment
-mony
-ness
-or
-ous, -ose
-ory
-osis
able, suitable
quality, state
state, place
pertain to
quality, state
quality/person
place for
pertain to
cause to be
action/state
state of being
perform
in like manner
female
bearing, full
abounding in
state, quality
pertain to
make, cause
similar to
like, inclined
doctrine of
inflammation
have nature of
make, practice
doctrine of
without
diminutive
diminutive
quality, state
condition of
state of being
person, thing
full of
tend to be
condition, state of
-ster
-tude
one who
quality/degree
visible
democracy
breakage
rental
attendance
servant
auditorium
pulmonary
activate
discoloration
freedom
action talker
picturesque
lioness
conifer
colorful
brotherhood
acidic
magnify
juvenile
childish
conservatism
appendicitis
destructive
memorize
conservatism
pitiless
piglet
duckling
attainment
testimony
happiness
generator
porous
illusory
hypnosis
psychosis
gangster
altitude
able to be seen
state of the people
state of breaking
pertaining to rent
quality of attending
person who serves
place for sound
pertaining to lungs
cause to be active
state of the color
state of being free
one who performs talk
like a picture
female lion
bearing cones
abounding in color
brotherly state
pertain to acid
make larger
youth like
child like
conservative doctrine
inflamed appendix
has a distorting nature
practice remembering
conservative doctrine
without pity
small, young pig
small, young duck
quality of attaining
condition of testament
state of being happy
thing that generates
full of pores
tend toward illusion
state of trance
condition of the mind
one of a gang
degree of height
Adapted from: Congos, Dennis H. (2011) Starting Out in Community College.Chicago, Il: McGraw-Hill
Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services