-ance

a suffix used to form nouns either from adjectives in -ant or from verbs: brilliance; appearance.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of -ance

Middle English < Old French < Latin -antia -ancy, equivalent to -ant- -ant + -ia -y3

Words nearby -ance

-ama, -amic, -amine, -an, -ana, -ance, -ancy, -and, -androus, -andry, -ane
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for -ance

-ance

-ancy

suffix forming nouns

indicating an action, state or condition, or qualityhindrance; tenancy; resemblance Compare -ence

Word Origin for -ance

via Old French from Latin -antia; see -ancy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012