-ity

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a suffix used to form abstract nouns expressing state, condition, or quality: jollity; civility; Latinity; variability.

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Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

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Origin of -ity

Variant of -itie,Middle English -ite<Old French <Latin -itāt- (stem of -itās); in many words representing Latin -itās directly

Words nearby -ity

iTunes, Iturbi, Itúrbide, ITV, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, -ity, i-type semiconductor, IU, IUCD, IUCN Red List, IUD

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use -ity in a sentence

Absurd′ity, Absurd′ness, the quality of being absurd: anything absurd.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
Account′ableness, Accountabil′ity, liability to give account, responsibility to fulfil obligations.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
Acrid′ity, Ac′ridness, quality of being acrid: a sharp, bitter taste.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
Ad′verseness, Advers′ity, adverse circumstances: affliction: misfortune.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various

Amiabil′ity, Am′iableness, quality of being amiable, or of exciting love.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for -ity

-ity

suffix forming nouns

indicating state or conditiontechnicality

Word Origin for -ity

from Old French -ite, from Latin -itās

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