ary

The combining form -ary is a suffix with a variety of meanings. In some words, it is used to denote an object, particularly a receptacle or place. In some other terms, it is used to mean “pertaining to; connected with.” Additionally, in some English terms it means “contributing to” or “for the purpose of.” It is often used in everyday and technical terms.

The form -ary comes from the Latin -ārius and -ārium, meaning “thing connected with or employed in, place for.” By way of French, English has inherited numerous suffixes with similar meanings to that of -ary, including -aire, as in millionaire; -eer, as in engineer; -er, as in archer; or -ier, as in financier. Check out all four entries to learn more.

An example of a word you may have encountered that features -ary is library, “a place set apart to contain books, periodicals, and other material for reading.” Library comes from the Latin librārius, which uses the equivalent of the suffix -ary in that language.

The libr- part of the word means “book,” from Latin liber. The -ary part of the word here means “pertaining to; connected with.” Library literally translates to “pertaining to books.”

What are some words that use the equivalent of the combining form -ary in Latin?

• granary
• judiciary
• legendary
• military
• planetary
• rotary

What are some other forms that -ary may be commonly confused with?

• -arch
• -ard
• -art

Not every word that ends with the exact letters -ary, such as luminary or weary, is necessarily using the suffix -ary to denote “pertaining to.” Learn why luminary means “a celestial body” at our entry for the word.

Given the meaning of the suffix -ary, what does planetary literally translate to?