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• ary
  ary

  adjective

  any; anyone.
• -ary
  -ary

  a suffix occurring originally in loanwords from Classical and Medieval Latin, on adjectives (elementary; honorary; stationary; tributary ), personal nouns (actuary; notary; secretary ), or nouns denoting objects, especially receptacles or places (library; rosary; glossary ). The suffix has the general sense “pertaining to, connected with” the referent named by the base; it is productive in English, sometimes with the additional senses “contributing to,” “for the purpose of,” and usually forming adjectives.

ary

¹ American  

[air-ee] / ˈɛər i /

adjective

Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.

1. any; anyone.

2. none, not any; nary.

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-ary ² American  

1. a suffix occurring originally in loanwords from Classical and Medieval Latin, on adjectives (elementary; honorary; stationary; tributary ), personal nouns (actuary; notary; secretary ), or nouns denoting objects, especially receptacles or places (library; rosary; glossary ). The suffix has the general sense “pertaining to, connected with” the referent named by the base; it is productive in English, sometimes with the additional senses “contributing to,” “for the purpose of,” and usually forming adjectives.

   complimentary; visionary; revolutionary; inflationary.

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-ary British  

suffix

1. (forming adjectives) of; related to; belonging to

   cautionary

   rudimentary

2. (forming nouns)

   1. a person connected with or engaged in

      missionary

   2. a thing relating to; a place for

      commentary

      aviary

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Usage

What does -ary mean? The combining form -ary is a suffix with a variety of meanings. In some words, it is used to denote an object, particularly a receptacle or place. In some other terms, it is used to mean "pertaining to; connected with." Additionally, in some English terms it means "contributing to" or "for the purpose of." It is often used in everyday and technical terms. The form -ary comes from the Latin -ārius and -ārium, meaning “thing connected with or employed in, place for." By way of French, English has inherited numerous suffixes with similar meanings to that of -ary, including -aire, as in millionaire; -eer, as in engineer; -er, as in archer; or -ier, as in financier. Check out all four entries to learn more.

Etymology

Origin of ary¹

First recorded in 1810–20; alteration of e'er a ever a, in sense “any”

Origin of -ary²

Middle English -arie, from Latin -ārius, -a, -um; English personal nouns reflect -ārius, while objects and places reflect -ārium or -āria. Inherited and adopted French forms of this suffix are -er ², -eer, -ier ², -aire; -er ¹