Words with the suffix -ence
-ence means “action, state, or quality of”, from Latin -entia via Old French -ence. It makes a word into a noun.
14 examples of the suffix -ence
- silencesilent + -encestate of being silent
- absenceabsent + -encestate of being absent
- patiencepatient + -encequality of being patient
- idenceevident + -encestate of being evident
- violenceviolent + -encequality of being violent
- idenceconfident + -encestate of being confident
- ferencediffer + -encequality of differing
- presencepresent + -encestate of being present
- idencereside + -enceaction or place of residing
- existenceexist + -encestate of existing
- excellenceexcel + -encequality of excelling
- consequenceconsequent + -encestate of following logically
- obedienceobedient + -encequality of being obedient
- turbulenceturbulent + -encestate of being turbulent
- adolescenceadolescent + -encestate of becoming an adult
Also: difference
How -ence works
The suffix '-ence' converts adjectives (often ending in '-ent') or verbs into abstract nouns denoting a state, action, or quality. It has a variant form '-ance' (used with '-ant' stems), but '-ence' and '-ance' are not interchangeable and must be memorized individually.
Watch out: Words like 'fence,' 'hence,' 'pence,' and 'rence' (as in a name) look like they end in '-ence' but contain no such suffix and simply end in the letters '-ence' with no separable meaningful base.
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
- -ance · action
- -ive · tending to
- -ship · state
Questions people ask
What does the suffix -ence mean?
-ence means “action, state, or quality of”. It comes from Latin -entia via Old French -ence. The suffix '-ence' converts adjectives (often ending in '-ent') or verbs into abstract nouns denoting a state, action, or quality. It has a variant form '-ance' (used with '-ant' stems), but '-ence' and '-ance' are not interchangeable and must be memorized individually.
What are some examples of words with the suffix -ence?
silence, absence, patience, idence, violence, idence, ference, presence. The full list of 14 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the suffix -ence but don’t?
Words like 'fence,' 'hence,' 'pence,' and 'rence' (as in a name) look like they end in '-ence' but contain no such suffix and simply end in the letters '-ence' with no separable meaningful base.
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.