-ize

Alternative forms

• -ise non-Oxford British spelling

Origin

From Middle English -isen ("-ise, -ize"), from Old French -iser ("-ize"), from Latin -izāre ("-ize"), from Ancient Greek -ίζειν, from Proto-Indo-European *-idyé-. Cognate with Gothic (-itjan, verbal suffix.), Old High German -izzen, Old English -ettan. Also see notes.

Full definition of -ize

Suffix

1. Used to form verbs from nouns or adjectives, the verbs having the sense of "to make what is denoted by the noun/adjective".

Usage notes

Derived terms

• -izer, -ization