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-ance

American  
  1. a suffix used to form nouns either from adjectives ending in -ant or from verbs.

    brilliance; appearance.


-ance British  

suffix

  1. indicating an action, state or condition, or quality Compare -ence

    hindrance

    tenancy

    resemblance

"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

Etymology

Origin of -ance

Middle English < Old French < Latin -antia -ancy, equivalent to -ant- -ant + -ia -y 3

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Herald-Dispatch reports 33-year-old Ance Matthew Marcum was extradited Friday to a Barboursville jail on charges including negligent homicide.

From Washington Times

The script includes helpful stage direction, and it might have been nice if someone had said it out loud: “This is a theatrical séance. … We will try and fail and try again and ask for a commitment to our fellow humans sharing our air.”

From New York Times

This would enable insur­ance providers and individual patients to shop around for the best deals.

From Salon

According to ANCE, the Italian construction businessmen association, profits in the industry have dropped by 90% since 2007.

From The Guardian

Dutch society has fought for and achieved an enviable work-life bal­ance.

From Salon