-ious

American  

1. variant of -ous, added to stems of Latin origin, often with corresponding nouns ending in -ity: atrocious; hilarious.

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-ious British  

suffix

1. characterized by or full of Compare -eous

   ambitious

   religious

   suspicious

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Etymology

Origin of -ious

Middle English ≪ Latin -iōsus ( -i-, -ose ¹ ) and Latin -ius (masculine singular adj. ending, as in varius )

Example Sentences

The U.S. has a lot of cards, of course, but a lot of IOUs as well.

From Barron's

The U.S. has a lot of cards, of course, but a lot of IOUs as well.

From Barron's

She, however, accrued an inexhaustible supply of IOUs.

From Barron's

For the fourth time in two years, Armistice told investors who want to cash out that much of their money would likely be returned in the form of what are essentially IOUs, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many governments sell bonds - essentially IOUs - to raise money for public spending and in return they pay interest.

From BBC