-ist

/-ɪst//-əst/

suffix

a person who studies or practices a particular discipline;

“autist, egoist”

OriginMiddle English -ist ← Old French -iste ← Latin -ista →
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Meanings

suffix-ist (noun-forming suffix, plural -ists)

plural -ists · comparative more -ist · superlative most -ist

  1. Added to words to form nouns denoting:
    1. a person who studies or practices a particular discipline;

      botanist, one who studies plants

      1 more example

      psychiatrist, one who practices psychiatry

    2. a person who uses a device of some kind;

      pianist, one who plays the piano

      3 more examples

      violinist, one who plays a violin

      cyclist, one who rides a (bi)cycle

      (dated) autoist, one who drives an automobile

    3. one who engages in a particular type of activity;

      tourist, one who tours

      5 more examples

      adventurist, one who takes risks or goes on adventures

      artist, one who makes art

      bigamist, one who commits bigamy

      terrorist, one who causes terror

      Note, many of these are related to -isms: adventurism, terrorism, tourism

    4. one who suffers from a specific condition or syndrome

      autist, egoist

      1 more example

      Note, these are related to -isms: autism, egoism

    5. one who subscribes to a particular theological doctrine or religious denomination;

      Buddhist, Baptist, monotheist

      1 more example

      Note, these are related to -isms: Buddhism, monotheism

    6. one who has a certain ideology or set of beliefs;

      Marxist, modernist, nihilist, existentialist, fascist, pacifist, activist, environmentalist,

      1 more example

      Note, these are related to -isms: Marxism, modernism, nihilism, existentialism, fascism, pacifism

    7. one who owns or manages something;

      capitalist; industrialist

      1 more example

      Note, these are related to -isms: capitalism; industrialism

    8. a person who holds bigoted, partial views with respect to a particular matter.

      sexist, racist: Note, these are related to -isms: sexism, racism

    9. a person who speaks or specializes in a (usually constructed) language.

      Esperantist, Tokiponist

Origin

  1. Esperanto-isto
  2. Ancient Greek-ιστής
  3. Latin-ista
  4. Old French-iste
  5. Middle English-ist
  6. English-ist

From Middle English -ist, -iste, from Old French -iste and Latin -ista, from Ancient Greek -ιστής (-istḗs), from -ίζω (-ízō, “-ize, -ise”, verbal suffix) + -τής (-tḗs, agent-noun suffix). Equivalent to -ism + -t. Doublet of -ista. The speaker of a language sense is influenced by Esperanto -isto.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic ـِيّ
  • ـِيّ (nisba)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Bulgarian -ист
  • -ист (-ist)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Catalan -ista, -ista
  • -istaA person who holds biased views
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -istaA member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -istaA person who uses something
Chinese Mandarin -主義者 /-主义者, 家
  • -主義者 /-主义者 (-zhǔyìzhě)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • 家A member of a profession or one interested in something
Czech -ista, -istka
  • -istaA person who holds biased views
  • -istkaA person who holds biased views
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -istkaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Danish -ist
  • -istOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Dutch -ist
  • -istOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Esperanto -anto, -ulo
  • -antoOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -uloOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -istoA member of a profession or one interested in something
Finnish -isti, -isti
  • -istiA person who holds biased views
  • -istiOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -istiA member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -istiA person who uses something
French -iste, -iste
  • -isteA person who holds biased views
  • -isteOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -isteA member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -isteA person who uses something
German -ist
  • -istOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Greek -ιστής, -ίστρια
  • -ιστής (-istís)A person who holds biased views
  • -ίστρια (-ístria)A person who holds biased views
  • -ιστής (-istís)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -ίστρια (-ístria)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -λόγος (-lógos)A member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -ιστής (-istís)A person who uses something
  • -ίστρια (-ístria)A person who uses something
Hebrew יסט
  • יסט (-ist)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Hungarian -ista
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Icelandic -isti
  • -istiOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Irish -ach, -aí
  • -achA person who holds biased views
  • -aíOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -achOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -(t)óirA member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -aíA member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -achA member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -adóirA person who uses something
  • -aíA person who uses something
Italian -ista
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Japanese -主義者, 家
  • -主義者 (-shugisha)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • 家A member of a profession or one interested in something
Korean -주의자, 가
  • -주의자 (-juuija)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • 가 (ga)A member of a profession or one interested in something
Latin -ista
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Malay -is, ahli
  • -isOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • ahliOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Norwegian -ist
  • -istOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Persian ـگرا
  • ـگرا (-garâ)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Polish -ista, -ysta
  • -istaA person who holds biased views
  • -ystaA person who holds biased views
  • -istkaA person who holds biased views
  • -ystkaA person who holds biased views
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -ystaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -istkaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -ystkaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -istaA person who uses something
  • -ystaA person who uses something
  • -istkaA person who uses something
  • -ystkaA person who uses something
Portuguese -ista
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Romanian -ist
  • -istOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Russian -ист, -ист
  • -ист (-ist)A person who holds biased views
  • -ист (-ist)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -и́стка (-ístka)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -ист (-ist)A person who uses something
Slovak -ista, -istka
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -istkaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Spanish -ista, -isto
  • -istaOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -istoA person who uses something
  • -istaA person who uses something
Swahili -isti, mwana-
  • -istiOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • mwana-One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • m-One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • mwana-A member of a profession or one interested in something
Swedish -ist
  • -istOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Turkish -ist
  • -istOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Ukrainian -іст, -їст
  • -іст (-ist)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -їст (-jist)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -íстка (-ístka)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -їстка (-jistka)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -ист (-yst)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -истка (-ystka)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
Welsh -ydd, -wr
  • -yddA person who holds biased views
  • -wrA person who holds biased views
  • -yddOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -wrOne who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • -yddA member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -wrA member of a profession or one interested in something
  • -yddA person who uses something
  • -wrA person who uses something
Yiddish ־יסט, ־יסט
  • ־יסט (-ist)One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory
  • ־יסט (-ist)A member of a profession or one interested in something
  • ־יסט (-ist)A person who uses something

Rhymes & wordplay

Sounds the same

-est
Cite this entry
APA

-ist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ist

MLA

“-ist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ist. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-ist,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ist.

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