-ment

(Latin: a suffix; result of, means of, act of; place of action)

The suffix -meant is a final word element derived through Middle English and French from the Latin suffix -ment(um), originally used to form agent and action nouns from verbs, now used to form nouns and denominative verbs in several related senses:

  1. "An action, process, or skill" denoted by the combining root: rearmament, tournament, management.
  2. "A result, object, or agent of an action" named by the joining root: entombment, enthrallment, agreement.
  3. "The means or instrument of an action": implement, medicament, reinforcement.
  4. "The place of an action" named by the first root: battlement, ambushment, settlement.
  5. "A state or condition" specified by the first root: bewilderment, predicament, bereavement.

The verb combinations show no change in basic form: cement, compliment, lament.

Principal parts: -menting, -mented, -mented.

Related forms: -mentum (singular); -menta, -menti, -ments (plurals).

agreement (s) (nouns), agreements (pl)
1. A situation in which people share the same opinion: It was understood that any changes to the project plans required the agreement of the majority of those who were involved.
2. An arrangement, a contract, etc. by which all of those associated with something consent with what is to be done: The agreement expires in a month; so, Leon has to return the house under the terms of the deal he had with the original owner.
alignment
aliment
amortizement
1. A sloping top on a buttress, pillar, etc.
2. An architectural feature; such as, a gable, at the top of a façade.
3. A payment of an obligation in a series of installments or transfers.
4. The reduction of the value of an asset by prorating its cost over a period of years.
amusement (s) (noun), amusements (pl)
1. The pleasurable occupation of one's attention, or diversion of the mind (from serious duties, etc.).
2. Passing from an idle time-wasting diversion, or entertainment.
3. Recreation, relaxation, the pleasurable action upon the mind of anything light and cheerful.
4. Pleasant excitement of the risible faculty by anything droll or grotesque, tickling of the fancy.
5. Anything which lightly and pleasantly diverts the attention, or beguiles the time; a pastime, a play, a game, or a form of recreation.
announcement (s) (noun), announcements (pl)
A written or spoken statement that tells people about something: The public was very pleased by the government's announcement that there will be a lowering of transportation fees.

The TV program was pausing for a brief commercial announcement.

annulment
1. A formal and legal termination of a relationship or a judicial proceeding, etc.; especially, the formal declaration that annuls a marriage.
2. A court procedure that dissolves a marriage and treats it as if it never happened.

The most common reason for anyone to want an annulment instead of a divorce is for religious reasons.

Annulments are usually rare since the advent of "no-fault divorce" but it may be obtained in most states in America for one of the following reasons: misrepresentation, concealment; for example, of an addiction or criminal record, and the refusal to consummate the marriage.

3. A mental process or mechanism by which unpleasant or painful ideas are abolished from the mind of a psychiatric patient.

Such patients render as nonexistent, certain specific events or ideas which have been painful or disagreeable to them.

In annulment, painful experiences are said to be shifted into daydreams; while in repression, the painful experiences may be eliminated from consciousness and pushed into the unconscious, after which they may reappear in dreams or as symptoms.

—Based on information obtained from
Psychiatric Dictionary, 7th edition, by Robert Jean Campbell, M.D.;
New York; Oxford University Press; 1996; page 48.
apartment
appeasement (s) (noun), appeasements (pl)
1. The political strategy of pacifying a potentially hostile nation in the hope of avoiding war, often by granting concessions.
2. An attempt to stop complaints or to reduce difficulties by making concessions.
appointment (s) (noun), appointments (pl)
1. The action of putting a person into a position of office; designation: Jack was happy to accept nomination of the appointment of being the secretary of the club.
2. An arrangement between people to meet on a certain day and time; an engagement: When June looked at her calendar, she noticed that she had an appointment every week, either with a doctor or at the hairdresser's.
3. A position or a job; post; office; Mr. Smart took up the appointment of the head of the committee.
4. Fittings or furnishings (plural only): The fantastic appointments in the home were of the best quality and perfection.
appraisement
armament
assessment (s) (noun), assessments (pl)
1. A judgment about something based on an understanding of the situation: The construction engineer was making an assessment of the work which was completed.
2. A calculation of the value of something, made especially for tax or insurance purposes: The Jones family claimed that the tax assessment on their house was way too high.
3. A method of evaluating student performances and attainments: Jerry's school uses a variety of tests for its annual assessments.
assignment (s) (noun), assignments (pl)
attainment (s) (noun), attainments (pl)
Achieving an objective, a goal, or a level of success: "An attainment is usually accomplished with hard work and skills that have been acquired by training."