-ity

(Latin: suffix used to form abstract nouns expressing act, state, quality, property, or condition corresponding to an adjective)

credibility (s) (noun), credibilities (pl)
1. The ability to inspire belief or trust: Andre's story about why he was so late in coming home the other evening had enough credibility to convince his parents that he was telling the truth.
2. A willingness to accept something as true, believable, or plausible: The financial scandal damaged the credibility of the politician as an honest and and trustworthy candidate.
Worthiness of belief or trustworthiness.
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Being worthy of acceptance or belief.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
for a list of additional Mickey Bach illustrations.

criminality (s) (noun), criminalities (pl)
declivity
1. A downward slope or bend.
2. A surface; especially, a piece of land, that slopes downward.
3. A downward inclination; especially, of a piece of land.
deformity
density
1. The state or quality of being dense; compactness; closely set or crowded condition.
2. Thickness of consistency; impenetrability.
3. Complexity of structure or content.
4. The number of inhabitants, dwellings, or the like, per unit area: "The commissioner noted that the population density of certain city blocks had fallen dramatically."
5. In physics, mass per unit volume.
6. The quantity of electricity per unit of volume at a point in space, or the quantity per unit of area at a point on a surface.
7. The degree of opacity of a substance, medium, etc., that transmits light.
8. In photography, the relative degree of opacity of an area of a negative or transparency, often expressed logarithmically.
9. With computers, a measure of the compactness of data stored on an external storage medium, as disk or tape, or displayed on a CRT or other screen; also, the number of units of useful information contained within a linear dimension.
10. Thickness of consistency; impenetrability.
detritivory (adjective)
dexterity (s) (noun), dexterities (pl)
1. A coordination of small muscles, in movements; usually involving the synchronization of the palms and digits: Madison was told that he had the dexterity to work on the project because he had the skill to use his hands and fingers quickly and in a coordinated way.

A surgeon must have dexterity in order to handle medical instruments properly.

2. The ability to think and to act quickly and cleverly: The people were amazed at the dexterity of the performances of the acrobats at the circus.
The speed and ease of using the hands.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

dextrality (s) (noun), dextralities (pl)
1. The state or condition of having the right side or parts different from and; usually, more efficient than the left side.
2. A superiority of strength and easier actions with the right side of the body.
difformity
disability (s) (noun), disabilities (pl)
1. A condition in which someone is unable to perform because of physical or mental handicaps: When Susan fell on the steps she hurt her foot and, because of this disability, it was not possible for her to stand and make dinner in the kitchen that evening.
2. A medically diagnosed condition that makes it difficult to engage in the activities of daily life: Since Jane's eyesight was getting worse over the years, Dr. Smith said that, because of this disability, it would not be safe for her to drive her car anymore.
3. A condition, such as an illness or an injury, which damages or limits people's physical or mental capacities or functions: Greg's parents have learned to keep up positive attitudes about their son's disabilities which were acquired through a car accident the year before.
4. A sum of money paid to somebody, usually on a monthly basis, by a government agency or insurance company because a person is unable to work or to provide for the necessities of life: After their mother injured her back, she had to quit her job and go on disability.
disintegrity (s) (noun), disintegrities (pl)
Reduction to component particles, breaking up; destruction of cohesion.
diversity
1. A variety of something; such as, opinion, color, or style: "We live in a country with great cultural diversity."
2. Ethnic variety, as well as socioeconomic and gender variety, in a group, a society, or an institution; such as, working in a society committed to diversity.
3. Discrepancy, variety, multiformity, or a difference from what is considered to be normal or expected.
docility (s) (noun), docilities (pl)
1. The trait of being agreeably submissive and manageable: Some breeds of dogs are known for their docility and gentleness.
2. Quiet and easy to influence, to persuade or to control: There are those who believe that the docility of elephants is remarkable.
domesticity (s) (noun), domesticities (pl)
1. Life as it is lived at home; homelife: Jack, Jill, and their children had a fondness or love for their little home and lived in modest and simple domesticity.
2. The concerns or activities of the home and family; household affairs (only pl): On the weekends, the members of the family made a habit of domesticities, like doing the laundry, ironing, cooking, but sometimes they went on short weekend trips.
duality