Word part · Latin suffix
Suffix -ate words: meaning and 25 examples
In short
The Latin suffix -ate (from Latin) means "to make or act on; or having". Words with it include animate, animated, animating, inanimate, reanimate and originate. On action words it means to make or treat (vaccinate).
- Part
- -ate
- Meaning
- to make or act on; or having
- Origin
- Latin
- Words listed
- 25
On action words it means to make or treat (vaccinate). On describing words it means having (passionate, fortunate).
Words with the Latin suffix -ate
The list runs from shorter, common words to longer ones. The bands are a rough guide built from syllable count and how common each word is in our word list, not a grade-level standard. Read each word, then its word sum.
Colors:prefixroot or basesuffix
Next: longer words (about grades 5 and 6)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| animate | anim (root or base)+ate (suffix)→animate | make something seem alive |
| reanimate | re (prefix)+anim (root or base)+ate (suffix)→reanimate | bring back to life or movement |
| fortunate | fortune (root or base)+ate (suffix)→fortunatedrop the e | having good fortune, lucky |
| unfortunate | un (prefix)+fortune (root or base)+ate (suffix)→unfortunatedrop the e | not lucky |
| captivate | captive (root or base)+ate (suffix)→captivatedrop the e | to hold someone's attention completely |
| vaccinate | vaccine (root or base)+ate (suffix)→vaccinatedrop the e | to give someone a vaccine |
| hyphenate | hyphen (root or base)+ate (suffix)→hyphenate | to join words with a hyphen |
| passionate | passion (root or base)+ate (suffix)→passionate | having strong feelings |
| carbonate | carbon (root or base)+ate (suffix)→carbonate | to add bubbles of gas to a drink |
More words: activate, motivate, celebrate, illustrate, calculate, demonstrate, communicate
Stretch: long or less common words (about grades 7 and 8)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| animated | anim (root or base)+ate (suffix)+ed (suffix)→animateddrop the e | made to move as if alive; full of life |
| animating | anim (root or base)+ate (suffix)+ing (suffix)→animatingdrop the e | making something seem alive, now |
| inanimate | in (prefix)+anim (root or base)+ate (suffix)→inanimate | not alive |
| originate | origin (root or base)+ate (suffix)→originate | to start or come from somewhere |
| considerate | consider (root or base)+ate (suffix)→considerate | thinking about other people's feelings |
| inconsiderate | in (prefix)+consider (root or base)+ate (suffix)→inconsiderate | not thinking about other people's feelings |
| compassionate | compassion (root or base)+ate (suffix)→compassionate | having care for others who are hurting |
| affectionate | affection (root or base)+ate (suffix)→affectionate | showing love and care |
More words: participate
How do you teach the suffix -ate?
Split this one into two jobs and teach them on different days. Day one is the action job: vaccinate, hyphenate, captivate. Each means to do something with the base, so to vaccinate is to give a vaccine. Day two is the describing job: fortunate, passionate, considerate. Each means having the base, so a fortunate person has good fortune. Students who know both jobs can sort most -ate words they meet.
A quick routine
Put two headings on the board: "does" and "has." Say, "Ate can make an action or a describing word. Hyphen plus ate is hyphenate: to add a hyphen." The student builds vaccinate, captivate, fortunate and passionate and places each under a heading. Ask for a sentence with considerate. Then point at the dropped e in vaccinate and fortunate and ask why it went.
What do students mix up with -ate?
Many short words end in a-t-e with no suffix at all: date, gate, late, plate, skate. Take off the ate and nothing is left. Some -ate words also change how they sound by job: a student can separate the papers (an action) or keep them in separate piles (a describing word). Say both aloud so the student hears the shift.
Some of these words change spelling where the parts join. The spelling rules pages cover dropping e, doubling and changing y to i. For the sounds inside these words, see the phonics word lists. Routines that fit: meanings of prefixes and suffixes, circle the parts, read the base and flexible routine for big words.
Questions people ask
What does the suffix -ate mean?
-ate means "to make or act on; or having". It is a Latin suffix. On action words it means to make or treat (vaccinate). On describing words it means having (passionate, fortunate).
What are some words with the suffix -ate?
Start with animate, reanimate, fortunate and unfortunate. Then move to animated and animating. This page lists 25 words in all, most with a word sum that shows the parts.
Why does fortunate drop the e from fortune?
The suffix -ate begins with a vowel, so the silent e at the end of fortune drops: fortun + ate. The same thing happens in vaccinate and captivate. Unfortunate simply adds un- to the front.
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