ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Word parts›Suffixes›-ist
SuffixGreek
-ist
turns a field, practice, or belief into a noun for a person associated with it
Greek -istēs named a doer: an artist makes art, a novelist writes novels, and a realist faces reality.
Words built from it
- artist — a person who creates art
art (skill or creative work) + -ist (practitioner) - novelist — a person who writes novels
novel (long fictional work) + -ist (practitioner) - realist — a person who accepts situations as they actually are
real (actual) + -ist (adherent) - abolitionist — a person who campaigns to abolish an institution, especially slavery
abolition (ending an institution) + -ist (supporter)
Looks like it, but is not
- minister — from Latin minister 'servant'; its 'ist' is part of the root, not -ist
Drill this word part in the app
More suffixes
- -ify — turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning make or cause to become
- -ism — turns an idea or practice into a noun naming a doctrine, system, practice, or characteristic behavior
- -ity — turns an adjective or root into a noun naming a state or quality
- -ive — turns a verb or root into an adjective meaning tending to, able to, or serving to do it
- -ize — turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning make, become, or treat in that way