ologic

Ologic is a suffix used in English to form adjectives that indicate relation to a field of study or branch of knowledge. It appears in many scientific and technical terms to describe properties, processes, or objects associated with geology, biology, technology, and other domains. It is not a standalone word but a bound morpheme attached to a root such as ge-, bio-, or techno- to yield words like geologic, biologic, or technologic.

Etymology and meaning: The form derives from the Greek -logikos, from logos meaning study or discourse. In English, -ologic is related to the noun suffix -ology, which names a discipline (geology, biology, technology). The adjective -ologic typically describes something pertaining to the field rather than naming the field itself.

Usage and nuance: The -ologic form is common in scientific and technical writing, where it helps form compound adjectives such as geologic time, biologic response, or technologic advancement. In medical contexts, biologic (or biologic drug) is used as a noun or adjective, sometimes distinguishing products of living sources from synthetic ones. In many cases, the alternative -ogical or -ogical forms such as geological or biological are more prevalent in everyday usage, though both families appear across specialized vocabularies.

Relation to other forms: -ologic sits alongside -ology and -ogical as part of a broader set of Greek-derived adjectival endings. Choice among these variants often depends on historical convention, spelling standards, and stylistic preferences within a discipline.