-ITY comes from Latin and forms abstract nouns from adjectives, meaning "the state or quality of." QUALITY, ABILITY, EQUALITY, CREATIVITY. From CITY and PITY to CREATIVITY and POPULARITY, -ITY words appear throughout formal English and are essential in Scrabble.
The suffix -ITY comes from Latin -itas and forms abstract nouns from adjectives meaning "the state or quality of being." QUALITY = state of qual-, ABILITY = state of being able, CREATIVITY = quality of being creative. -ITY is the Latinate counterpart to Old English -NESS. Both mean the same thing — -NESS attaches to native English adjectives (DARKNESS, KINDNESS), while -ITY attaches to Latinate adjectives (DENSITY, INTENSITY, CLARITY). Sometimes both coexist: CREATIVENESS and CREATIVITY both mean the same thing, but -ITY is more formal in academic contexts.
7-letter -ITY words
8-letter -ITY words
9+ letter -ITY words
-ITY comes from Latin -itas and forms abstract nouns meaning "the state or quality of being." QUALITY = quality of qual-, ABILITY = state of being able, EQUALITY = state of being equal. -ITY is the Latinate counterpart to Old English -NESS. Both mean the same thing, but -ITY attaches to Latinate adjectives (INTENSE → INTENSITY, EQUAL → EQUALITY) while -NESS attaches to native English adjectives (KIND → KINDNESS).
Top -ITY plays: QUALITY (19 pts) and QUANTITY (19 pts) score highest due to Q. VICINITY (16 pts), FELICITY (15 pts), DUPLICITY (15 pts), SANCTITY (13 pts). QUALITY is exceptional — 7 letters, 19 points, and very common in Scrabble. VICINITY (16 pts) is the top non-Q -ITY word.
7-letter -ITY Scrabble plays: QUALITY (19 pts), CLARITY (12 pts), DIGNITY (11 pts), GRAVITY (13 pts), REALITY (10 pts), SOCIETY (12 pts), VARIETY (13 pts), ABILITY (12 pts), BREVITY (15 pts), CHARITY (15 pts). QUALITY (19 pts) is the top 7-letter -ITY bingo, followed by BREVITY and CHARITY.
Common -ITY words: CITY, PITY, DEITY, UNITY, SANITY, VANITY, PURITY, ABILITY, CLARITY, QUALITY, REALITY, SOCIETY, VARIETY, ACTIVITY, CAPACITY, EQUALITY, IDENTITY, MAJORITY, PRIORITY, SECURITY, ADVERSITY, COMMUNITY, CREATIVITY, CURIOSITY, DIVERSITY, GENEROSITY, POPULARITY, POSSIBILITY, SENSITIVITY, VISIBILITY.