-acy

a suffix of nouns of quality, state, office, etc., many of which accompany adjectives in -acious or nouns or adjectives in -ate: fallacy; papacy; legacy; delicacy; piracy.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU FEEL THE WEAL WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ?

Did you collect all of last week’s words, but eftsoons forget what they mean? Don’t worry, we’re here to jog your memory. See how many words from the week of May 18 to 24 you can get right!
Question 1 of 7
weal
well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
the intervening time.
a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.
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Origin of -acy

< Latin -ācia, -ātia (spelling interchangeably in Medieval Latin, reflecting the Rom merger of the forms); these are in turn complexes of -āc- and -āt- -ate1 + -ia -y3. Cf. -cracy

Words nearby -acy

-acea, -aceae, -aceous, -acious, -acity, -acy, -ad, -ade, -adelphous, -ades, -aea
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020