Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


-ance

-ance

.
[F.
-ance
, fr. L.
-antia
and also fr.
-entia
.]
A suffix signifying action; also, quality or state;
as, assist
ance
, resist
ance
, appear
ance
, eleg
ance
. See
-ancy
.
☞ All recently adopted words of this class take either -ance or -ence, according to the Latin spelling.

Definition 2024


-ance

-ance

See also: ance and Ance

English

Alternative forms

Suffix

-ance

  1. Added to the stem of a verb to form a noun indicating a state or condition, such as result or capacity, associated with the verb.
  2. A process or action.

Usage notes

  • Many words ending in "-ance" were formed in French or by alteration of a noun or adjective ending in "-ant".

Related terms

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:English_words_suffixed_with_-ance'>English words suffixed with -ance</a>

Translations


French

Etymology

From Old French -ance, from Latin -antia and -entia. Compare Spanish -anza, -enza, Italian -anza, -enza, Portuguese -ança, -ença, Romanian -ință. Cognate to French -ence.

Suffix

-ance

  1. -ance (suffix used to form nouns)

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:French_words_suffixed_with_-ance'>French words suffixed with -ance</a>

Related terms


Middle French

Suffix

-ance

  1. -ance (suffixed used to form nouns)

Descendants

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Middle_French_words_suffixed_with_-ance'>Middle French words suffixed with -ance</a>

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -antia(m), -entia(m).

Suffix

-ance

  1. -ance (suffixed used to form nouns)

Related terms

Descendants

Derived terms

<a class='CategoryTreeLabel CategoryTreeLabelNs14 CategoryTreeLabelCategory' href='/wiki/Category:Old_French_words_suffixed_with_-ance'>Old French words suffixed with -ance</a>

Serbo-Croatian

Suffix

-ance (Cyrillic spelling -анце)

  1. Suffix appended to words to create a neuter noun, usually to form a diminutive or as an expression of endearment, or to denote an object.

See also