Morpheme
-ate
Type
suffix
Denotation
(1) noun suffix denoting “office, rank, or person characterized by an action or quality”; (2) verb suffix denoting “cause, make, or perform an action”; (3) adjective suffix denoting “having, characterized by, or pertaining to a state or quality”
Etymology
Latin -ātus, -ātum, -āta; Latin -ātiō, -atiōnis, -atiōnem when followed by -ion
Evidence
acolytate, activate, aerate, -ation, affectionate, desolate, formulate, graticulate, homeostatic, hydrate, inflate, legitimate, metastatic, minatory, moderate, palmate, phonate, primate, senate, senator, separate, state, static, tabulate, urinate, verbate
See Also
-at, -ate, -it(e), -et(e), -ute, -atum, -ati, -ee, -ion