English

Suffix

-osity

1. Forming nouns, usually abstract, and usually from adjectives in -ous or -ose.
2. (colloquial) Forming nouns from other adjectives for humourous effect.

Usage notes

Rarely productive in English, outside of humourous use – primarily found in borrowings from Latin, often via French.

Synonyms

• -ness
• -hood
• -ship
• -itas
• -itude
• -th
• -ia
• -itia
• -ity
• -ability
• -ibility
• -icity
• -ous
• -ose

Derived terms

References

1. ↑ J[ohn] A. Simpson and E[dward] S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ISBN 978-0-19-861186-8.
2. ↑ Why is it spelled “curiosity” instead of “curiousity?”