-ance

See also: ance and Ance

English

Alternative forms

• -ence
• ⠨⠑ (Braille)

Etymology

From Middle English -aunce, -ance, from Anglo-Norman -aunce and continental Old French -ance, from Latin -antia, -entia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-əns/

Suffix

-ance

1. Added to an adjective or verb to form a noun indicating a state or condition, such as result or capacity, associated with the verb.

   ‎ally + ‎-ance → ‎alliance

   ‎perform + ‎-ance → ‎performance

   ‎reluctant + ‎-ance → ‎reluctance

2. Added to a verb to form a noun indicating a process or action.

   ‎appear + ‎-ance → ‎appearance

   ‎resist + ‎-ance → ‎resistance

Usage notes

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

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -ance

Related terms

• -ency

Translations

a state

• Catalan: -ança (ca) f
• French: -ance (fr)

  Old French: -ance

• Friulian: -ance
• Hungarian: -ság (hu)/-ség (hu), -at (hu)/-et (hu), -alom (hu)/-elem (hu)
• Italian: -anza f
• Middle English: -aunce, -ing
• Portuguese: -ança (pt) f
• Romanian: -anță (ro) f
• Spanish: -anza (es), -ancia (es) f
• Swedish: -ans (sv) c
• Venetian: -ansa f

Anagrams

• Caen, CanE, Cane, Cena, Nace, acne, cane

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃s/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophone: -ence

Suffix

-ance f (plural -ances)

1. -ance; forms abstract nouns

Derived terms

French terms suffixed with -ance

Related terms

• -ant
• -ence

Middle English

Suffix

-ance

1. Alternative form of -aunce

Middle French

Suffix

-ance

1. -ance (suffixed used to form nouns)

Derived terms

Middle French terms suffixed with -ance

Descendants

• French: -ance

Old French

Alternative forms

• -anche, -aunce

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈãn.t͡sə/

Suffix

-ance

1. -ance (suffixed used to form nouns)

Derived terms

Old French terms suffixed with -ance

Related terms

• -ant

Descendants

• Middle French: -ance
  • French: -ance
• → Middle English: -aunce, -ance, -ans, -anse, -auns
  • English: -ance (-ence)
  • Scots: -ance (-ence)

Scots

Alternative forms

• -ence

Etymology

From Middle English -aunce, from Anglo-Norman -aunce and continental Old French -ance, from Latin -antia, -entia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əns/

Suffix

-ance

1. Forms nouns indicating states or processes, usually from verbs or other nouns;

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

• -ce
• -ence