-ity | Meaning Of Suffix -ity By Etymonline

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZAdvertisementRemove Ads

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Origin and history of -ity

-ity

word-forming element making abstract nouns from adjectives and meaning "condition or quality of being ______," from Middle English -ite, from Old French -ete (Modern French -ité) and directly from Latin -itatem (nominative -itas), suffix denoting state or condition, composed of -i- (from the stem or else a connective) + the common abstract suffix -tas (see -ty (2)).

Roughly, the word in -ity usually means the quality of being what the adjective describes, or concretely an instance of the quality, or collectively all the instances; & the word in -ism means the disposition, or collectively all those who feel it. [Fowler]

Entries linking to -ity

abnormality(n.)

1846, "an instance of abnormality, irregularity, deformity;" 1853 as "fact or quality of being abnormal," from abnormal (q.v.) + -ity. Earlier was abnormity (1731), but according to OED the earlier word has more "depreciatory force" than the later one. Abnormalism "tendency to be abnormal" is from 1847. As a verb, abnormalize (1855) seem to be rare.

accessibility(n.)

"condition or quality of admitting approach," 1758, from French accessibilité (from Late Latin accessibilitas), or else a native formation from accessible + -ity.

• accountability
• acridity
• admissibility
• advisability
• ambidexterity
• ambisexuality
• amenability
• amiability
• amicability
• androcentricity
• angularity
• anonymity
• applicability
• artificiality
• asexuality
• atonality
• authenticity
• availability
• See All Related Words (245)

Advertisement

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

More to explore

sovereignlate 13c., soverain, "superior, ruler, master, one who is superior to or has power over another," from Old French soverain "sovereign, lord, ruler," noun use of adjective meaning "highest, supreme, chief" (see sovereign (adj.)). Specifically by c. 1300 as "a king or queen, one whforgiveOld English forgiefan "give, grant, allow; remit (a debt), pardon (an offense)," also "give up" and "give in marriage" (past tense forgeaf, past participle forgifen); from for-, here probably "completely," + giefan "to give" (from PIE root *ghabh- "to give or receive"). The senserevelationc. 1300, revelacioun, "disclosure of information or knowledge to man by a divine or supernatural agency," from Old French revelacion and directly from Latin revelationem (nominative revelatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of revelare "unveil, uncover, lay bare" (see casserole1706, "stew pan," from French casserole "sauce pan" (16c.), diminutive of casse "pan" (14c.), from Provençal cassa "melting pan," from Medieval Latin cattia "pan, vessel," possibly from Greek kyathion, diminutive of kyathos "cup for the wine bowl." Originally the pan; by 1889 alsconfesslate 14c., transitive and intransitive, "make avowal or admission of" (a fault, crime, sin, debt, etc.), from Old French confesser (transitive and intransitive), from Vulgar Latin *confessare, a frequentative form from Latin confess-, past participle stem of confiteri "to acknowllanguagelate 13c., langage "words, what is said, conversation, talk," from Old French langage "speech, words, oratory; a tribe, people, nation" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *linguaticum, from Latin lingua "tongue," also "speech, language," from PIE root *dnghu- "tongue." The -u- is an Anglosourcemid-14c., "support, base," from Old French sourse "a rising, beginning, fountainhead of a river or stream" (12c.), fem. noun taken from past participle of sourdre "to rise, spring up," from Latin surgere "to rise, arise, get up, mount up, ascend; attack," a contraction of surrigeafflictlate 14c., "to cast down" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French aflicter, from Latin afflictare "to damage, harass, torment," frequentative of affligere (past participle afflictus) "to dash down, overthrow," from ad "to" (see ad-) + fligere (past participle flictus) "to strike.temple"building for worship, edifice dedicated to the service of a deity or deities," Old English tempel, from Latin templum "piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, building for worship of a god," of uncertain signification. Commonly referred to PIE root *tem- "to cut,resentc. 1600, "feel pain or distress" (a sense now obsolete); 1620s, "take (something) ill, consider as an injury or affront; be in some degree angry or provoked at," from French ressentir "feel pain, regret," from Old French resentir "feel again, feel in turn" (13c.), from re-, here

Share -ity

‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ityCopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ity">Etymology of -ity by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of -ity. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved January 23, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ityCopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of -ity," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed January 23, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ity.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of -ity." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ity. Accessed 23 January, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of -ity." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ity (accessed January 23, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

TrendingDictionary entries near -ity

• -itis
• its
• itself
• itsy-bitsy
• itty
• -ity
• -ium
• Ivan
• -ive
• ivied
• ivory

AdvertisementClose

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Want to remove ads? Log in to see fewer ads, and become a Premium Member to remove all ads.

Close