-ist
specialist, one who practices
From Greek -istes, via Latin -ista and French -iste
Meaning
What does -ist mean?
-ist is a suffix meaning specialist, one who practices. It comes from Greek -istes, via Latin -ista and French -iste.
An everyday English ending for a person who practices something, used in medicine for roles like dentist and pharmacist.
In real words
Medical words with -ist
a health professional trained to care for the teeth, gums and mouth
a dentist who specializes in the gums and bone around the teeth
a dentist who specializes in the inside of the tooth, such as root canal treatment
Don't mix it up
Parts easily confused with -ist
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
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Fields and specialists
-ist is one of 5 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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