-ic
/ɪk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.55 in modern English
4
Scrabble Score
2
Letters
2
Syllables
2
Unique Chars
Meaning
suffix
Used to form adjectives from nouns with the meaning “of or pertaining to”.
suffix
Used to denote certain chemical compounds in which a specified chemical element has a greater oxidation number than in the equivalent compound whose name ends in the suffix -ous. For example sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) has more oxygen atoms per molecule than sulphurous acid (H₂SO₃).
Example Sentences
Etymology
From Middle English -ik, from Old French -ique, from Latin -icus, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ḱos, formed with the i-stem suffix *-i- and the adjectival suffix *-kos, *-ḱos. Compare Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Sanskrit -इक (-ika) and Old Church Slavonic -ъкъ (-ŭkŭ). Doublet of -y; compare also -ac. Proto-Indo-European *-kos on noun stems carried the meaning 'characteristic of, like, typical, pertaining to', and on adjectival stems it acted emphatically.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɪk/
- British English: /ɪk/