a suffix occurring originally in loanwords from Classical and Medieval Latin, on adjectives (
elementary; honorary; stationary; tributary), personal nouns (
actuary; notary; secretary), or nouns denoting objects, especially receptacles or places (
library; rosary; glossary). The suffix has the general sense “pertaining to, connected with” the referent named by the base; it is productive in English, sometimes with the additional senses “contributing to,” “for the purpose of,” and usually forming adjectives:
complimentary; visionary; revolutionary; inflationary.
