Suffixes - Greek and Latin

​Suffixes are added to the end of root words and they change their meaning.

There are 3 types of suffixes:
​

• Suffixes for Nouns
• Suffixes for Adjectives
• Suffixes for Verbs

 
For example -itis means “inflammation” and thus the word arthritis means “inflammation of the joints.”

Studying the Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes will help explain why words made up of those parts are spelled the way they are.

​The English language uses many Greek and Latin Suffixes, the most popular of which are listed below.

 

SUFFIXES FOR NOUNS	SIMPLE MEANING	EXAMPLES
-escence	state of	acquiescence, convalescence
-ism	state or doctrine of	imperialism, racism
-ist	someone who believes in	amorist, misogynist
-ity	state of being	felicity, elasticity
-ment	quality	enjoyment, merriment
-ology	study of	archaeology, theology
-tion	act or state of	redemption, elation
-y, -ry	state of	husbandry, trickery
-sis	action, process, condition	analysis, paralysis
-osis	(usually bad) condition	osmosis, thrombosis
-tes, -ter, -tor, -ist	the agent, he who, that which	diabetes, daughter, orator, pragmatist
-iasis	disease, condition	psoriasis, elephantiasis
-sia	action, process, condition	euthanasia, anesthesia
-ia	action, process, condition	leukemia, dementia
-ma	result of action	stigma, aroma
-oma	swelling or tumor	glaucoma, sarcoma
-mos	result of action	thermos, rhythmos
-or	the agent that does	creator, flexor, director
-ion, -idium, -iscus	small	creation, presidium,  meniscus
-ion	action, condition resulting from action	adhesion, retention, formulation
-ment	action, condition resulting from action	apartment, confinement, detachment
-ry	place, area for work, instrument	laboratory, apothecary
SUFFIXES FOR ADJECTIVES	SIMPLE MEANING	EXAMPLES
-able	capable	agreeable, perishable
-ian	one who is or does	musician, mortician
-ic	make, cause	pedantic, romantic
-ile	pertain to	servile, gentile
-ious	have the quality of	pernicious, rambunctious
-ive	have the nature of	active, defensive
-less	without	careless, seamless
-tic / -ic	capability, fitness	acoustic, static, tonic, graphic
-id	in state or condition of	arid, frigid, placid
-ite	belonging to, of the nature of	composite, requisite
-itis	(usually inflamed) condition	arthritis, laryngitis
-oid	in the shape of, like	thyroid, steroid
-al, -ar, -ile	connect with, pertain to	digital, regular, senile
-ose, -ous, -lent	full of	cellulose, fibrous, corpulent
SUFFIXES FOR VERBS	SIMPLE MEANING	EXAMPLES
-ate	to make	hyphenate, carbonate
-ify	to make	justify, terrify
-ize	to bring about	actualize, sterilize