-atory

1. a combination of -ate ¹ and -ory ¹ or -ory ², used infrequently as an independent suffix with the same senses as -ory ¹ and -ory ²: affirmatory; observatory .

-atory

suffix forming adjectives

1. of, relating to, characterized by, or serving to

   explanatory

   exploratory

   circulatory

   migratory

Word History and Origins

Origin of -atory¹

< Latin -ātōrius, -a, -um, originally the termination of adjectives formed with -tōrius ( -tory ¹, -tory ² ) and verbs whose stems ended in -ā-; reanalyzed in English in the same way as -ator

Word History and Origins

Origin of -atory¹

from Latin -ātōrius; see -ate ¹, -ory ²

Example Sentences

Self′-exist′ent, existing of or by himself or itself, independent of any other cause; Self′-explan′atory, obvious, bearing its meaning in its own face.—n.

From Project Gutenberg

Stump′er, one who stumps; Stump′-or′ator, one who harangues the multitude from a temporary platform, as the stump of a tree: a speaker who travels about the country, and whose appeals are mainly to the passions of his audience; Stump′-or′atory; Stump′-speech, an impromptu speech delivered on any improvised platform, any speech made all round a district by some frothy agitator.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg

San′atory, healing: conducive to health.

From Project Gutenberg

Self′-accus′atory; Self′-act′ing, acting of, or by, itself, specially denoting a machine or mechanism which does of itself something that is ordinarily done by manual labour.—n.

From Project Gutenberg

Perspīr′atory, pertaining to or causing perspiration.

From Project Gutenberg