ify

Ify is a productive English suffix used to form verbs from adjectives or nouns, with the sense of causing to become or making into that quality. Verbs ending in -ify typically express transformation, alteration, or a change in state. The base often supplies the meaning (for example, clear + -ify = clarify; simple + -ify = simplify), but the result is a new verb that denotes making something have the quality of the base word.

Etymology and background: The suffix -ify comes from Latin -ificare, via Old French and Middle English, ultimately from facere, “to make.” In English, -ify operates alongside the related suffix -ize, which also forms verbs from nouns or adjectives but with a somewhat different historical lineage and stylistic feel. Both suffixes contribute many common verbs, especially in technical, scholarly, and everyday language.

Common examples and usage notes: Clarify, simplify, magnify, beautify, fortify, intensify, verify, falsify, classify, justify, modify, purify, edify, identify. -ify verbs are typically transitive, taking an object to receive the change (e.g., verify the facts; purify the water). Some denote an increase in degree or intensity (intensify), while others describe turning a state into a more pronounced form (beautify, electrify). A few convey a sense of moral or ethical shaping (edify, justify). While many -ify verbs are straightforward, some have idiomatic or metaphorical meanings that go beyond a simple “make into” sense.

Notes: -ify is widely used across domains, including science, technology, law, and journalism, and remains productive in contemporary English. As with other derivational suffixes, formality and nuance can vary; some -ify verbs may be less common in spoken language than in writing.