Learning suffixes is a great way to expand your vocabulary. This post will help you understand how to use the suffix -dom with real examples. More than a simple word list, learn the words and see them used in real example sentences.
Words with the Suffix -dom
- Boredom
- Christendom
- Fandom
- Freedom
- Kingdom
- Martyrdom
- Stardom
- Wisdom +
- Earldom
- Serfdom
You will find lots of real example sentences that use words with the Suffix -dom, a video for listening practice, and a PDF wordlist so you can study offline or use it in your English classes. Keep reading.
- The Suffix -dom – Meaning
- Words with the Suffix -dom + example sentences
- Printable Suffix -dom PDF Wordlist
The Suffix -dom – Meaning
The suffix -dom is added to words to make nouns that mean:
① the condition or state of
freedom – the state of being free
“Most people don’t appreciate their freedom until they lose it.”
② the rank of; an area ruled by
kingdom – the area ruled by a king
“King Richard ruled his kingdom with an iron fist.”
dom_2 suffix OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
Word Origin
Old English -dōm, originally meaning ‘decree, judgement’.
*The suffix -dom is very similar in meaning to the suffix -hood which means the state or quality of. Do a deep dive into the suffix -hood here>> How Do You Use the Suffix -hood? (17 Examples + Video)
Words with the Suffix -dom + example sentences
Boredom – the state of feeling bored
- “Rodney loves living in a big city, he would die of boredom if he had to move to the countryside.”
- “People often eat out of boredom. If you have nothing to do, you eat something just to pass the time even though you’re not hungry.”
Christendom – all the Christian people and countries of the world
- “Christendom spread across Europe after the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine.”
- “The medieval kingdoms of Europe were considered part of Christendom.”
Fandom – the state of being a fan of somebody/something
- “Jimmy’s soccer fandom became a lifelong obsession.”
- “I entered a speech contest in high school, and the title of my speech was ‘My 10 years of baseball fandom’. I have loved baseball since I was 6 years old.”
Freedom – Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries has 6 ways to use this noun. Here are the most common meanings.
① the power or right to do or say what you want without anyone stopping you
- “The people fought for their freedom from oppression.”
- “Most people don’t appreciate their freedom until they lose it.”
② the state of not being a prisoner or slave
- “After 18 months in prison and two trials, Gregory finally won his freedom.”
- “Most slaves were granted freedom after the Civil War.”
③ the state of not being affected by the thing mentioned *
“All people want freedom from discrimination based on gender or ethnicity.”
Kingdom – a country that has a king or queen as head of state (= official leader of the country)
- “The kingdom was ruled by a wise and just king.”
- “King Richard ruled his kingdom with an iron fist.”
Martyrdom – the painful experiences or death of a martyr [a martyr is a person who is killed because of their religious or political beliefs]
- “His martyrdom was the ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs.”
Officialdom – people who are in positions of authority in large organizations when they seem to be more interested in following rules than in being helpful
*This is a new word for me. I don’t think I have heard it before and I definitely have never used it myself. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries has the definition for this word so I included it in my post.
- “The report is critical of attempts by officialdom to deal with the problem of homelessness.”
- “He was not accustomed to the bureaucracy of officialdom.”
The word homelessness is made by adding two suffixes to the noun home. The suffix less and the suffix ness. Learn more about these suffixes at the links below.
– How to Use the Suffix -NESS (Real examples, Video + Free PDF download)
– Adjectives with the Suffix -less (79 Examples, Video + Free PDF download)
Stardom – the state of being famous as an actor, a singer, etc. (Being a star.)
- “She achieved stardom at a young age with her first hit single.”
- “His performance at the World Cup propelled him to soccer stardom.”
Wisdom – the ability to make sensible decisions and give good advice because of the experience and knowledge that you have
- “He sought knowledge and wisdom throughout his life.”
- “If you feel drops of water falling on you, intelligence tells you that it’s raining. Wisdom tells you to go inside.”
These last two words with the suffix -dom are not really used anymore except when talking about the history of Europe and England. (England is also called the United Kingdom.)
Dukedom – the rank or position of a duke [a duke is a nobleman (a man from a family of high social level) of the highest rank]
- “The young prince was given the dukedom upon his father’s death.”
Serfdom – the state of being a serf [a person who was forced to live and work on land that belonged to a landowner]
- “The end of serfdom was a major step towards a modern and free society.”
Printable Suffix -dom PDF Wordlist
Download your printable PDF Wordlist below. (It’s FREE!) PDFs contain the live links from the post.↓
Find more great Prefix/Suffix posts below!
- CO Prefix (23 Real Examples – Video – Free PDF)
- The Suffix -wise (Real Examples – PDF Download)
- The Prefixes EN- and EM- (31 Examples – PDF guide)
- How do you use the suffix -al? (Examples, Free PDF, Video)
- The Suffix Able – 32 Real Examples (PDF wordlist + Video)
- The Prefix Trans- (Definitions, 52 Examples, Video, PDF)
- The Prefix SUB- (32 Examples・Free 9-page PDF・Video)
Images used in this blog post are provided by freepik.com. You can find the image links below.
Music illustrations by Storyset Worker illustrations by Storyset Money illustrations by Storyset People illustrations by Storyset
