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Glite Dictionary
-acy

-acy

7.9
An ending added to a word to make a noun that shows a state or quality, for example privacy
  • other
  • Specialized
: -acidad
  • The suffix -acy is found in words like 'accuracy' and 'privacy'.

Examples

  • Adding -acy to 'private' creates the noun 'privacy'.

  • The suffix -acy is commonly used to create nouns that denote a particular quality, such as 'democracy' or 'efficacy'.

  • Many English nouns describing a state or quality end with -acy.

  • The concept of privacy is crucial in today's digital world.

  • He values his privacy.

  • In English, you can see the suffix -acy at the end of words like 'legacy' that refer to a state or condition.

  • To form a noun that describes a quality or state, you can add -acy to adjectives, such as in 'intricacy'.

Synonyms

-ness
vs-acy
  • Specialized
1 1.0

A word ending that makes a noun showing a quality or state, usually from an adjective

includes system and office meanings and forms nouns beyond adjective bases

Surface Forms

-acy main

Etymology

-Acy is a suffix that makes nouns meaning a 'state', 'quality', or 'office', as in privacy, accuracy, and democracy. It comes from an old Latin ending -acia meaning a 'state' or 'office', so adding -acy turns a word into the name of that condition or position.