Word part · Greek suffix
The Greek suffix -ist
Means: a person who does, plays or studies.
At a glance
- Part
- -ist
- Meaning
- a person who does, plays or studies
- Layer
- Greek: Combining forms behind science words, with spellings like ph and ch.
Names a person by a skill or subject: artist, guitarist, geologist.
Example words
Read each word, then its sum: the parts that build it, and what they mean together.
Colors:prefixroot or basesuffix
- geo (root or base)+log (root or base)+ist (suffix)→geologist
a scientist who studies rocks and the earth
- bio (root or base)+log (root or base)+ist (suffix)→biologist
a scientist who studies living things
- art (root or base)+ist (suffix)→artist
a person who makes art
- tour (root or base)+ist (suffix)→tourist
a person who travels to visit places for fun
- cycle (root or base)+ist (suffix)→cyclist
a person who rides a bike
cycle + ist: drop the e → cyclist
- guitar (root or base)+ist (suffix)→guitarist
a person who plays the guitar
- journal (root or base)+ist (suffix)→journalist
a person who writes the news
- uni (prefix)+cycle (root or base)+ist (suffix)→unicyclist
a person who rides a unicycle
uni + cycle + ist: drop the e → unicyclist
- violin (root or base)+ist (suffix)→violinist
a person who plays the violin
Original word lists and meanings written by Literacy Trail.
Taught alongside
Parts that share a lesson with -ist.
Teach word parts with ready lessons
Literacy Trail has word parts lessons with words to read, build, split and spell, and full-screen players for the student. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial.