-ic | Meaning Of Suffix -ic By Etymonline

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Origin and history of -ic

-ic

Middle English -ik, -ick, word-forming element making adjectives, "having to do with, having the nature of, being, made of, caused by, similar to," from French -ique and directly from Latin -icus or from cognate Greek -ikos "in the manner of; pertaining to." From PIE adjective suffix *-(i)ko, which also yielded Slavic -isku, adjectival suffix indicating origin, the source of the -sky (Russian -skii) in many surnames. In chemistry, indicating a higher valence than names in -ous (first in benzoic, 1791).

In Middle English and after often spelled -ick, -ike, -ique. Variant forms in -ick (critick, ethick) were common in early Modern English and survived in English dictionaries into early 19c. This spelling was supported by Johnson but opposed by Webster, who prevailed.

Entries linking to -ic

acerbic(adj.)

1865, originally, and usually, figurative: "sour, harsh, severe" (of speech, manners, etc.), from Latin acerbus "harsh to the taste, sharp, bitter, sour," especially of unripe fruits, etc., also figuratively, of character, conduct, etc. (see acerbity) + -ic. The earlier adjective was simply acerb (1650s), from French acerbe, from Latin acerbus.

acidic(adj.)

"containing a large amount of the acid element," 1877, originally in geology; see acid (n.) + -ic. The geological use was chemical, in reference to the acid element (silicon, etc.) in certain salts, and was opposed to basic.

• acrobatic
• acrylic
• adiabatic
• Aesopic
• alcoholic
• algebraic
• algorithmic
• allergic
• allogenic
• altruistic
• amnesic
• amnestic
• amniotic
• anabolic
• anaemic
• analgesic
• anamorphic
• anaphoric
• See All Related Words (355)

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acrylic1843, "of or containing acryl," the name of a radical derived from acrolein (1843), the name of a liquid in onions and garlic that makes eyes tear, from Latin acer "sharp" (from PIE root *ak- "be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce") + olere "to smell" (see odor) + -in (see -ineadiabatic"without transference, impossible (to heat)," 1838, with -ic + Greek adiabatos "not to be passed" (of rivers, etc.), from a- "not" (see a- (3)) + diabatos "to be crossed or passed, fordable," from dia "through" (see dia-) + batos "passable," from bainein "to go, walk, step" (fromepidemicAlso see -ic....intrinsicThe form in English was conformed to words in -ic by 18c. Meaning "belonging to the nature of a thing" is from 1640s....acrosticThe second element is properly -stich, but it has been assimilated to words in -ic. As an adjective from 1680s....egoby 1707, in metaphysics, "the self; that which feels, acts, or thinks," from Latin ego "I" (cognate with Old English ic;...selfetc.) was in Old English, from the original independent (and inflected) use of self following personal pronouns, as in ic...evangelistlate 12c., "Matthew, Mark, Luke or John," from Old French evangelist and directly from Late Latin evangelista, from Greek euangelistes "preacher of the gospel," literally "bringer of good news," from euangelizesthai "bring good news," from eu- "good" (see eu-) + angellein "announnoblec. 1200, "illustrious, distinguished, of high rank or birth," from Old French noble "of noble bearing or birth," from Latin nobilis "well-known, famous, renowned; excellent, superior, splendid; high-born, of superior birth," earlier *gnobilis, literally "knowable," from gnoscere elf"one of a race of powerful supernatural beings in Germanic folklore," Old English elf (Mercian, Kentish), ælf (Northumbrian), ylfe (plural, West Saxon) "sprite, fairy, goblin, incubus," from Proto-Germanic *albiz (source also of Old Saxon alf, Old Norse alfr, German alp "evil spi

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/-icCopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ic">Etymology of -ic by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of -ic. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved January 5, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/-icCopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of -ic," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed January 5, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ic.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of -ic." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ic. Accessed 5 January, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of -ic." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ic (accessed January 5, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near -ic

• ibid.
• ibis
• -ible
• IBM
• ibogaine
• -ic
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• Icarus
• ICBM
• ice
• ice age

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