-holism

suffix

A form of addiction, either a physical or obsessive dependency.

OriginEnglish alcoholism ← Middle English alcofol ← Medieval Latin alcoho →
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Meanings

suffix

alternative -aholism

  1. A form of addiction, either a physical or obsessive dependency.

Origin

  1. Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
  2. Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
  3. Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
  4. Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
  5. Medieval Latinalcoho
  6. Middle Englishalcofol
  7. Englishalcohol
  8. Englishalcoholism
  9. English-holism

Rebracketing of alcoholism, the name of one of the first addictions to be widely identified both medically and socially. It should be noted that the word alcoholism is broken up into the root, alcohol, and the suffix -ism, not alco and -holism. The suffix -holism is thus a result of false splitting.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

-holism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-holism

MLA

“-holism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-holism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-holism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-holism.

Source: -holism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.