Suffixes Flashcards
To help increase vocabulary in preparation for the Word Knowledge portion of the ASVAB test
a, ia (usually indicates a noun)
state of, condition of, thing that has the quality of
Examples:
insomnia (n): condition of being unable to sleep
able, ible (usually indicates an adjective)
capable of, worthy of
Examples:
changeable (adj): able to be changed
combustible (adj): capable of being burned; easily inflamed
age (usually indicates a noun)
action or process, amount or rate of, place of
Examples:
brokerage (n): business of negotiating
mileage (n): number of miles
orphanage (n): place where orphans are housed
al, ial (usually indicates an adjective)
relating to
Examples:
hormonal (adj): relating to hormones
literal (adj): relating to the usual or exact meaning of words
residential (adj): relating to a residence
an, ian (usually indicates ad adjective or noun)
adjective: relating to; noun: one who related to or is skilled at
Examples:
comedian (n): one who is funny
musician (n): one who is skilled in music
reptilian (adj): like a reptile
ance, ence, ancy, ency (usually indicates a noun)
state of, action of
Examples:
consistency (n): state of being consistent
furtherance (n): act of furthering something
ard (usually indicates a noun)
person who has a particular quality
Examples:
coward (n): one who is afraid, easily cowed
dullard (n): one who is dull
ary (usually indicates an adjective)
relating to
Examples:
budgetary (adj): relating to a budget
literary (adj): relating to literature
ate (usually indicates an adjective, noun, or verb)
adjective: having the quality of; noun: one who has a quality; verb: to impart or display a quality
Examples:
inviolate (adj): having not been violated
renovate (v): to make something like new again
vertebrate (n): an animal with vertebrae
cide (usually indicates a noun)
related to killing
Examples:
homicide (n): act of murder
suicide (n): act of killing oneself
insecticide (n): product that kills insects
cracy (usually indicates a noun)
ruling order, system of government
Examples:
plutocracy (n): rule by the wealthy class
theocracy (n): rule of God or gods
crat (usually indicates a noun)
person who rules or has authority
Examples:
plutocrat (n): wealthy person of great influence
technocrat (n): skilled person of great influence
cy (usually indicates a noun)
state of or quality of
Examples:
bankruptcy (n): state of being without money
dormancy (n): state of being asleep
dom (usually indicates a noun)
state of, realm of
Examples:
kingdom (n): realm of a king
wisdom (n): state of being wise
ee (usually indicates a noun)
person or thing that receives an action
Examples:
payee (n): one who receives payment
tutee (n): one who receives tutelage (that is, teaching)
er, or (usually indicates a noun)
one who does
Examples:
exterminator (n): one who exterminates
robber (n): one who steals or robs
escence (usually indicates a noun)
process of becoming or process of taking on a quality
Examples:
obsolescence (n): process of becoming obsolete or out-of-date
luminescence (n): act of emitting light
ese (usually indicates an adjective or noun)
adjective: relating to a place or language; noun: the language of a nation
Examples:
Japanese (adj): related to Japan or its language
Japanese (n): the language of Japan
esque (usually indicates an adjective)
having or being in the style of, resembling, imitating
Examples:
picturesque (adj): resembling a painting; visually pleasing or striking
statuesque (adj): tall, shapely, and attractive, like a statue
etic (usually indicates an adjective)
relating to, tending to, or having the quality of
Examples:
apologetic (adj): relating to apology or tending to apologize
apoplectic (adj): displaying apoplexy (extreme anger)
ette, et, let (usually indicates a noun)
diminutive; makes small
Examples:
kitchenette (n): a small kitchen
booklet (n): a small book
ful (usually indicates an adjective)
having the quality of
Examples:
hopeful (adj): having hope
peaceful (adj): having the quality of peace
hood (usually indicates a noun)
state or quality of, place or group of people with a specific quality
Examples:
brotherhood (n): state of being brothers, or group of people who call themselves brothers
neighborhood (n): place where neighbors live
ial, ian, arian (usually indicates an adjective or noun)
relating to or characterized by
Examples:
antiquarian (n): one who studies valuable old things
centenarian (n): one who is a hundred or more years old
ceremonial (adj): relating to ceremony
disciplinarian (n): one who is strict
librarian (n): one who works in a library
vegetarian (n): one who does not eat meat
ic, ical (usually indicates an adjective)
relating to, having the quality of
Examples:
comic (adj): relating to comedy
hypocritical (adj): saying one thing and doing another
ify (usually indicates a transitive verb)
to make something into something else
Examples:
deify (v): to make into a god
magnify (v): to make larger
ish (usually indicates an adjective)
resembling, being related to, having the quality of
Examples:
youngish (adj): somewhat young
fiendish (adj): resembling a fiend or devil
outlandish (adj): resembling something strange or unfamiliar
ism, asm (usually indicates a noun)
action of; state of being; state of having a quality, doctrine, or religion; bias or hatred
Examples:
capitalism (n): a belief in private ownership
criticism (n): the act of criticizing
gigantism (n): state of being abnormally large
phantasm (n): product of fantasy
sexism (n): bias against a person based on gender
ist (usually indicates a noun)
person who does
Examples:
harpist (n): one who plays the harp
linguist (n): one who studies language
ite (usually indicates a noun)
person who has a trait, person who adheres to a school of thought
Examples:
socialite (n): person who is known for socializing
itis (usually indicates a noun)
inflammation of, condition resembling a disease
Examples:
arthritis (n): disease of the joints
laryngitis (n): inflammation of the larynx
ity (usually indicates a noun)
state of, quality of
Examples:
density (n): state of being dense; mass based on unit per volume
ferocity (n): state of being ferocious
ive (usually indicates an adjective or noun)
adjective: having a quality of or tending to; noun: a person or thing with the quality of
Examples:
creative (adj): tending to create things
digestive (n): a substance that aids digestion
ize (usually indicates a verb, transitive or intransitive)
cause to become, treat a certain way
Examples:
eulogize (v): to speak well of
terrorize (v): to cause to become terrified
less (usually indicates an adjective)
without, lacking
Examples:
fearless (adj): without fear
graceless (adj): lacing grace
logy (usually indicates a noun)
the study of
Examples:
biology (n): study of life
geology (n): study of Earth’s structure
ly (usually indicates an adverb)
(makes a word into an adverb)
Examples:
frighteningly (adv): in a frightening manner
rapidly (adv): in a rapid manner
ment (usually indicates a noun)
action of, state of being
Examples:
contentment (n): state of being content
development (n): action of developing something
ness (usually indicates a noun)
state of being, condition, or quality
Examples:
goodness (n): state of being good
sweetness (n): quality of being sweet
nomy (usually indicates a noun)
rules, system of law or order, field of study
Examples:
astronomy (n): scientific study of the universe beyond the Earth
autonomy (n): independence, self-governance
oid (usually indicates an adjective or noun)
adjective: resembling; noun: something that resembles something else
Examples:
humanoid (n): a being that resembles a human
planetoid (n): a small celestial body resembling a planet
osis (usually indicates a noun)
act of, or disease of
Examples:
hypnosis (n): the act of hypnotizing someone
psychosis (n): disease of the mind
ous, iousn (usually indicates an adjective)
having the quality of
Examples:
anxious (adj): having anxiety
poisonous (adj): having the quality of poison
ship (usually indicates a noun)
state of being
Examples:
hardship (n): difficult circumstances
ownership (n): the state of being the owner of something
some (usually indicates an adjective)
having the quality of; causing a feeling or condition
Examples:
fearsome (adj): causing fear
quarrelsome (adj): tending to quarrel
tion, sion, ion (usually indicates a noun)
act or process; result of a process; state or condition
Examples:
promotion (n): act of promoting something or someone
tension (n): state of being tense
tive (usually indicates an adjective)
having a quality or tendency
Examples:
emotive (adj): having the quality of causing strong emotions
talkative (adj): tending to talk
tude (usually indicates a noun)
state of being
Examples:
certitude (n): state of being certain
gratitude (n): state of being grateful
ular (usually indicates an adjective)
of, relating to, or resembling
muscular (adj): having well-developed muscles
popular (adj): of or relating to the people
ure, eur (usually indicates a noun)
action of, condition of
Examples:
exposure (n): act of exposing something
grandeur (n): condition of being grand
ward (usually indicates an adverb)
in the direction of
Examples:
heavenward (adv): toward heaven
eastward (adv): toward the east
y (usually indicates an adjective)
having, having a quality of, or resembling
Examples:
dirty (adj): not clean; relating to dirt
grouchy (adj): resembling a grouch
