desinence Definition
an inflectional suffix that indicates the grammatical function of a word.
Using desinence: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "desinence" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
In the word 'jumped', '-ed' is a desinence indicating past tense.
Example
The desinence '-s' in 'dogs' indicates plural form.
Example
The desinence '-ly' in 'quickly' indicates adverbial form.
desinence Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for desinence
- termination
- inflectional ending
- grammatical suffix
Phrases with desinence
Example
In the word 'boys', '-s' is a nominal desinence indicating plural form.
verbal desinence
a suffix that indicates the tense, mood, aspect, voice, or person of a verb
Example
In the word 'walked', '-ed' is a verbal desinence indicating past tense.
a suffix that indicates the degree of comparison of an adjective
Example
In the word 'happier', '-er' is an adjectival desinence indicating comparative degree.
Origins of desinence
from Latin 'desinentia', meaning 'ending'
Summary: desinence in Brief
'Desinence' [dɪˈsɪnəns] refers to an inflectional suffix that indicates the grammatical function of a word. It can be nominal, verbal, or adjectival, and is used to indicate tense, mood, aspect, voice, person, degree of comparison, or case. Examples include '-ed' in 'jumped' indicating past tense, '-s' in 'dogs' indicating plural form, and '-ly' in 'quickly' indicating adverbial form.
