Words with the suffix -ance
-ance means “action, state, or quality of”, from Latin -antia via Old French -ance. It makes a word into a noun.
15 examples of the suffix -ance
- dancedanc(e) + -ancestate of moving rhythmically
- chancecheanc(e) + -ancestate of random occurrence
- balancebalan(ce) + -ancestate of being evenly weighted
- entranceenter + -anceaction of entering a place
- distancedistant + -ancequality of being far apart
- guidanceguide + -anceaction of guiding someone
- uranceassure + -anceaction of assuring or guaranteeing
- assuranceassure + -ancestate of being assured or confident
- performanceperform + -anceaction of performing a task
- assistanceassist + -anceaction of helping or aiding
- resistanceresist + -ancestate of opposing a force
- tolerancetolerate + -ancequality of accepting differences
- dominancedominate + -ancestate of having power over others
- resemblanceresemble + -ancequality of looking similar to
- exuberanceexuberant + -ancequality of overflowing enthusiasm or energy
How -ance works
The suffix '-ance' converts verbs or adjectives into nouns denoting an action, state, or quality. When added to words ending in silent '-e', the 'e' is typically dropped (e.g., 'guide' → 'guidance'), and '-ant' adjectives often simply replace their ending with '-ance' (e.g., 'dominant' → 'dominance').
Watch out: Words like 'ambulance,' 'rance,' and 'finance' superficially end in '-ance' but do not use the suffix productively in modern English—'finance' derives from French 'finer' via a distinct historical path unrelated to this suffix's meaning.
To see suffixes combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other common suffixes
- -able · capable of
- -ible · capable of
- -tion · act
- -ness · state
- -ly · in a specified manner
- -er · one who performs an action
- -ment · result
- -ful · full of
- -less · without
- -ous · having the quality of
- -ity · state
- -ism · doctrine
- -ist · one who practices or believes in
- -ize · to make or cause to become
- -al · of
- -ence · action
- -ive · tending to
- -ship · state
Questions people ask
What does the suffix -ance mean?
-ance means “action, state, or quality of”. It comes from Latin -antia via Old French -ance. The suffix '-ance' converts verbs or adjectives into nouns denoting an action, state, or quality. When added to words ending in silent '-e', the 'e' is typically dropped (e.g., 'guide' → 'guidance'), and '-ant' adjectives often simply replace their ending with '-ance' (e.g., 'dominant' → 'dominance').
What are some examples of words with the suffix -ance?
dance, chance, balance, entrance, distance, guidance, urance, assurance. The full list of 15 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the suffix -ance but don’t?
Words like 'ambulance,' 'rance,' and 'finance' superficially end in '-ance' but do not use the suffix productively in modern English—'finance' derives from French 'finer' via a distinct historical path unrelated to this suffix's meaning.
What is a suffix?
A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word. It often changes the part of speech: -ness turns the adjective kind into the noun kindness, and -ly turns quick into the adverb quickly.