Dictionary

-ific en · X

Pronunciation

• /ˈɪf.ɪk/ weak vowel distinction
• /-ˈɪf.ɪk/ (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation, Scotland)
• /ˈɪf.ək/ weak vowel merger
• -ĭf′ĭk
• /-ˈəf.ək/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *-fakos Latin -(i)ficuslbor. English -ific Learned borrowing from Latin -(i)ficus. By surface analysis, -ify + -ic.

Meanings

1. (morpheme) Creating or causing something.
   • horror + -ific → horrific (“causing horror”)
2. (informal, morpheme) Very; extremely; forming adjectives from nouns.

Forms