-osity

English

Etymology

From Middle English -ouste, from Old French -ouseté, from Latin -ōsitāt-; later modified to the current form. It is equivalent to -ose or -ous + -ity.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɒ.sɪ.ti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑ.sə.ti/, /-ɾi/
• Hyphenation: -o‧si‧ty

Suffix

-osity

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

Usage notes

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

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -osity

terms derived from adjectives in -ous

• callosity
• credulosity
• curiosity
• generosity
• impetuosity
• incredulosity (nonstandard)
• luminosity
• monstrosity
• pomposity
• porosity
• preciosity
• religiosity
• scrupulosity
• sinuosity
• venomosity
• virtuosity
• viscosity

terms derived from adjectives in -ose

• bellicosity
• grandiosity
• jocosity
• verbosity

other derivations

• animosity

terms derived using -osity for humorous effect

• bogosity
• randomosity

Anagrams

• yoits