-ant

See also Appendix:Variations of "ant"

English

Etymology

From Middle English -ant, -aunt, partly from Old French -ant, from Latin case ending; and partly (in adjectival derivations) continuing Middle English -ant, a variant of -and, -end, from Old English -ende (present participle ending), see -and.

Suffix

-ant

1. (now sciences, chiefly medicine) The agent noun derived from verb.
   • serve → servant
2. An adjective corresponding to a noun in -ance.
   • defiance → defiant.
3. (uncommon) An adjective derived from a verb.
   • err → errant.

Usage notes

• Many words in -ant were not actually coined in English and rather borrowed directly from Old French, Middle French or Modern French.

Related terms

• -ance

Derived terms

[+] English words suffixed with -ant

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French

Suffix

-ant

1. -ing; suffix denoting the present participle of a verb

   jouer (to play) → jouant (playing)

2. (rare) A suffix deriving adjectives from words other than verbs.

   abracadabra → abracadabrant

3. Used to form nouns and adjectives out of verbs.

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Middle French

Suffix

-ant

1. used to form the present participle of verbs

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Old French

Suffix

-ant

1. used to form the present participle of verbs