Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

-ence

noun suffix

Definition of -ence

1 : action or process emergence : instance of an action or process reference
2 : quality or state despondence

History and Etymology for -ence

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin -entia, from -ent-, -ens, present participle ending + -ia -y entry 2

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about -ence

Statistics for -ence

Look-up Popularity

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for -ence

-ence

noun suffix

English Language Learners Definition of -ence

: the state of having a particular quality
: the action or process of doing something

-ence

noun suffix
\ əns, ᵊns\

Kids Definition of -ence

1 : action or process reference
2 : quality or state existence confidence

More from Merriam-Webster on -ence

Spanish Central: Translation of -ence

Comments on -ence

What made you want to look up -ence? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

flounce

Listen to the pronounciation of flounce

to move with exaggerated bouncy motions

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Finance Words Quiz

  • a-piggy-bank
  • The etymology of mortgage is related most closely to which two words?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Citation

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games