VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

-ist

suffix·Academic

Last updated

UK/ɪst/
US/ɪst/

Meanings

  1. suffix

    Added to nouns or verbs to make a noun meaning a person who does, studies, or is skilled in something.

    Grammar: Forms countable nouns: a dentist, two dentists.

    Patterns

    • noun + -ist
    • verb + -ist

    A dentist treats problems with teeth and gums.

    She works as a journalist for a national newspaper.

    The pianist played a short piece by Chopin.

  2. suffix

    Added to nouns to make a noun meaning a person who supports or follows a belief, system, or leader.

    Grammar: Often pairs with an -ism noun: socialist/socialism, capitalist/capitalism.

    Patterns

    • noun + -ist

    As a socialist, he argued for higher public spending.

    The group included both capitalists and communists.

    She describes herself as a feminist.

  3. suffixdisapproving

    Added to nouns to make a noun meaning a person who behaves in a way that is unfair or harmful toward a group.

    Grammar: Such words are often strongly disapproving or offensive: racist, sexist.

    Patterns

    • noun + -ist

    The court treated the attack as a racist crime.

    He was criticized for making sexist remarks at work.

    The article accused the company of ageist hiring practices.

Common combinations

a trained -ist
You should see a trained specialist rather than search online.
a leading -ist
She is a leading economist at a major university.
an -ist view
The debate included a feminist view of the policy.
an -ist regime
The novel is set during a communist regime.

Synonyms and how they differ

-er
Also forms person nouns (teacher, runner) but is more general and does not usually suggest a doctrine or belief.
-ian
Forms person nouns too (musician, historian) and often suggests a profession or field rather than an ideology.

Word family

-ism suffix
Forms nouns for beliefs or systems, such as socialism or racism.
-istic suffix
Forms adjectives related to -ist words, such as socialistic or artistic.

Commonly confused: -ist or -est?

-ist vs -est

A different suffix used for superlative adjectives (fastest, biggest), not for people or beliefs.

Practice

Which word correctly uses the suffix -ist to mean a person who studies or works in a field?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “-ist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words