Home US English -ence

Definition of -ence in English:

-ence

suffix

  • 1Forming nouns denoting a quality or an instance of it.

    • ‘impertinence’

  • 2Forming nouns denoting an action or its result.

    ‘reference’
    • ‘reminiscence’

Pronunciation

-ence

/əns/ /ns/ /(ə)ns/

Origin

From French -ence, from Latin -entia, -antia (from present participial stems -ent-, -ant-). Since the 16th century many inconsistencies have occurred in the use of -ence and -ance.