-ious
variant of -ous, added to stems of latin origin, often with corresponding nouns ending in -ity: atrocious; hilarious.
-ious
suffix
characterized by or full of ambitious, religious, suspicious compare -eous
word origin
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- -isation
chiefly british variant of -ization.
- -ise
chiefly british. variant of -ize: organise. usage note -ise2 a noun suffix, occurring in loanwords from french, indicating quality, condition, or function: franchise; merchandise. -ise suffix a variant of -ize -ize suffix to cause to become, resemble, or agree with legalize to become; change into crystallize to affect in a specified way; subject to hypnotize […]
- -ish
a suffix used to form adjectives from nouns, with the sense of “belonging to” (british; danish; english; spanish); “after the manner of,” “having the characteristics of,” “like” (babyish; girlish; mulish); “addicted to,” “inclined or tending to” (bookish; freakish); “near or about” (fiftyish; sevenish). a suffix used to form adjectives from other adjectives, with the sense […]
- -ism
a suffix appearing in loanwords from greek, where it was used to form action nouns from verbs (baptism); on this model, used as a productive suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice, state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion or adherence, etc. (criticism; barbarism; darwinism; despotism; plagiarism; realism; witticism; […]
- -ismus
-ismus suff. spasm; contraction: strabismus.