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-ity. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-ity, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-ity in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-ity you have here. The definition of the word
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-ity, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English -ite, from Old French -ite, -ete, -eteit (“-ity”), from Latin -itātem, from -itās, from Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts (suffix). Cognate with Gothic -𐌹𐌸𐌰 (-iþa, “-th”), Old High German -ida (“-th”), Old English -þo, -þu, -þ (“-th”). More at -th.
Alternative forms
Suffix
-ity
- Used to form an uncountable noun from an adjective; especially, to form the noun referring to the state, property, or quality of conforming to the adjective's description.
- absurd + -ity → absurdity (“the quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment”)
- anonym(ous) + -ity → anonymity (“the quality or state of being anonymous”)
- modern + -ity → modernity (“the quality of being modern or contemporary”)
- precar(ious) + -ity → precarity (“a condition of existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare”)
- Used to form a countable noun from an adjective, referring to someone or something that conforms to the adjective's description.
- absurd + -ity → [an] absurdity (“that which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction”)
- anonym(ous) + -ity → [an] anonymity (“that which is anonymous”)
- insipid + -ity → [an] insipidity (“something that is insipid; an insipid utterance, sight, object, etc.”)
- odd + -ity → [an] oddity (“an odd or strange thing or opinion; a strange person; an oddball”)
- Used to form other nouns, especially abstract nouns.
Usage notes
- Many nouns formed with -ity are uncountable; those that are countable form their plurals in -ities.
- Final -e is dropped before adding this suffix.
- Pronunciation:
- The addition of -ity to an adjective results in a shift of stress to the antepenultimate syllable; that is, words in -ity are stressed on the last syllable before the -ity, even in cases where this syllable is part of another suffix (as in words in -ability and -icity). Further, this shift typically results in a change in vowel quality; compare, for example, real and reality, where the sound in the second word is not present in the first. These vowel quality changes are usually consistent with the spelling of both forms — note that the letter <a> in the second word is present in the first — but sometimes spelling changes are seen, as with the suffix -ous, which when it combines with -ity produces the suffix -osity.
- While a final -c is pronounced , before -ity it becomes ; compare, for example, elastic and elasticity.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
See also
- -ness, -hood, -ship, -itas, -itude, -th, -ia, -itia, -ability, -ibility, -icity, -osity, -ous, -ose
Etymology 2
See -ety.
Suffix
-ity
- Alternative form of -ety
- hip + -ity → hippity, hippity-hop
Polish
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈi.tɨ/
- Rhymes: -itɨ
- Syllabification: i‧ty
Suffix
-ity m
- forms masculine adjectives
- pracować + -ity → pracowity
Declension
Declension of -ity (hard)
Derived terms
Further reading
- -ity in Polish dictionaries at PWN