-ancy

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

-ancy, 

1. a combination of -ance and -y, used to form nouns denoting state or quality: brilliant +
   -ancy → brilliancy.

See -ance.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

-ancy, 

1. a combination of -ance and -y, used to form nouns denoting state or quality:
   brilliancy.

• Latin -antia, equivalent. to -ant- -ant (-ā- thematic vowel + -nt- present participle suffix) + -ia -y³

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

-ancy suffix:forming_nouns

1. a variant of -ance, used to indicate condition or quality: expectancy, poignancy, malignancy

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

-ance, suffix. 

1. -ance is attached to some adjectives ending in -ant to form nouns with the meaning "quality or state of'': brilliant +
   -ance → brilliance.
2. -ance is also attached to some verb roots to form nouns: appear + -ance → appearance;
   resemble + -ance → resemblance. See -ant, -ence.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

-ance, 

1. a suffix used to form nouns either from adjectives in -ant or from verbs:
   brilliance; appearance.

• Latin -antia -ancy, equivalent. to -ant- -ant + -ia -y³
• Old French
• Middle English

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

-ance, -ancy suffix:forming_nouns

1. indicating an action, state or condition, or quality: hindrance, tenancy, resemblance
   Compare -ence

Etymology: via Old French from Latin -antia; see -ancy