-nik


  1. a suffix of nouns that refer, usually derogatorily, to persons who support or are concerned or associated with a particular political cause or group, cultural attitude, or the like: beatnik, filmnik; no-goodnik; peacenik.

Origin of -nik

1
<Yiddish (cf. nudnik) <Slavic: a personal suffix in Slavic languages in contact with Yiddish

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How to use -nik in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for -nik

-nik

suffix forming nouns
  1. denoting a person associated with a specified state, belief, or quality: beatnik; refusenik

Origin of -nik

1
C20: from Russian -nik, as in Sputnik, and influenced by Yiddish -nik (agent suffix)

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