English

Adjective

1. Indicating an agent or agency (as -er in lexicographer).

Noun

1. A word having this construction.

Anagrams

• negative

An agentive ending in the English language is the use of the suffix -er, -or, -ist, or -ian at the end of a verb in order to create a noun meaning "someone or something that does the action the verb describes." Examples include provider (from provide) and builder (from build).

Examples of words with -ist and -ian endings include pianist and librarian.

See also: gerund