Dictionary

-cy en · X

Pronunciation

• /-sɪj/ (British, Southern, Standard)
• /-si/

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman -cie, ultimately from Latin -cia, -tia, Ancient Greek -κια (-kia), -τια (-tia), originally variants of Latin -ia and Ancient Greek -ια (-ia), -ία (-ía) or -εια (-eia). Original loan words like pharmacy and papacy could have formed the model.

Meanings

1. (countable, morpheme, qualifier:non-productive, uncountable) Used to form nouns of state, condition or quality.
   • private + -cy → privacy
   • obstinate + -cy → obstinacy
   • frequent + -cy → frequency
2. (countable, morpheme, qualifier:non-productive, uncountable) Used to form nouns of rank or office.
   • magistrate + -cy → magistracy
   • president + -cy → presidency
   • abbot + -cy → abbacy

Forms

Synonyms

-th (condition or quality) · -ity (condition or quality) · -itude (condition or quality) · -ate (office) · -ness (condition or quality)

Translations (11)

es -cia (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · ms -si (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · pt -cia (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · es -za (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · pt -idade (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · gl -cia (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · it -aggine (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · es -eza (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · pl -cja (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · es -ez (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy) · hu -ság/-ség, -ás/-és, -s, -cia (used to form nouns of state, condition or quality e.g. obstinacy)