nouns on -ance and -ence

Mr Baechi (Switzerland)
This list brings together a wide selection of nouns that end in either "-ance" or "-ence".
79 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abundance
    the property of a more than adequate quantity or supply
    Power prices have fallen to 10-year lows across most of the United States thanks to an abundance of cheap natural gas.
    When there is more than enough or more than you need.
  2. acquaintance
    a person with whom you are familiar
    Many contracts have gone to acquaintances of Mr. Putin.
    also:
  3. acquaintance
    personal knowledge or information about someone or something
    Bender's acquaintance with helicopter repair work allowed him to not only fly the machine, but also service it.
  4. admittance
    the act of admitting someone to enter
    Some two minutes later there was a knock on his door and a voice demanded admittance. Taft, William Nelson
    "Admittance" is often used in the environment of schools, colleges and universities: "Her excellent grades granted her easy admittance to one of Oxford's prestige colleges."
  5. allowance
    an amount granted, as during a given period
    He has arthritis and diabetes, and survives on disability living allowance.
  6. arrogance
    overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner
  7. assistance
    the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need
  8. defiance
    an act boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    The Syrian government is alleged to have used chemical weapons, in defiance of President Obama’s “red line.”
  9. dominance
    the state when one person or group has power over another
    A reputation for being aggressive can grant males higher status in the pecking order of social dominance. Scientific American (May 29, 2013)
  10. extravagance
    the quality of exceeding appropriate limits
    alternative definition: "the act or habit of spending more money than you can afford or than is necessary", or: "luxury beyond modesty"
  11. fragrance
    a distinctive odor that is pleasant
  12. ignorance
    the lack of knowledge or education
    The fast food system – cheap food prepared quickly, eaten quickly, forgotten quickly – hinges on one slim peg: wilful ignorance. [Which means: you can only eat such disgusting food if you don't know what it really is.]
  13. importance
    the quality of being significant or worthy of note
    Both Rubinstein and Blavatnik emphasized the importance of getting younger kids to have an interest in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering.  Forbes (Jun 3, 2013)
  14. tolerance
    willingness to respect the beliefs or practices of others
  15. radiance
    an attractive combination of good health and happiness
    His dancing and acting, however, have radiance; hers have none. New York Times (May 30, 2012)
    Do not confuse with "radiation" as in "radioactive radiation".
  16. relevance
    the relation of something to the matter at hand
    My combat experience as an Army doctor during Vietnam would seem to have little relevance to practicing pediatrics in an affluent New York suburb.
    alternative definition: importance for something you're looking at right now, or for a specific field or task
    structure: relevance for / to sth
  17. reluctance
    a certain degree of unwillingness
    But the report said public funding still played a "vital role in encouraging creative innovation and overcoming private sector reluctance to invest in risky projects".
  18. repentance
    remorse for your past conduct
    At last tears had come, and plentifully--and repentance. Weyman, Stanley J.
    alternative definition: the fact of showing that you are sorry for sth wrong that you have done
  19. resistance
    any mechanical force that tends to slow or oppose motion
    also: opposition against someone or something, such as a dictatorship or political system
  20. resonance
    a vibration of large amplitude produced by a small vibration
    alternative definition: reflection of sound; when one body starts sounding because another is making a sound
  21. significance
    the quality of being important
  22. tolerance
    willingness to respect the beliefs or practices of others
  23. vigilance
    the process of paying close and continuous attention
    To keep minors safe online, companies must continue to rely on increased awareness of Internet safety and parental vigilance, reports the Times.
  24. appearance
    outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
  25. annoyance
    the state of being irritated or bothered
  26. ambulance
    a vehicle that takes people to and from hospitals
  27. alliance
    the state of being joined in an association or coalition
    The Western alliance imposed a no-fly zone and used air power to try to prevent his forces attacking civilian areas held by rebels.
  28. appliance
    a small mechanical device or tool
    After their wedding household appliances were piling up in their kitchen, so that they had more machines lying around than kitchen tasks they could have used them for.
  29. avoidance
    the act of deliberately preventing or keeping away from
    There are no global estimates of how much revenue governments lose through tax avoidance or evasion schemes.
  30. balance
    harmonious arrangement or relation of parts within a whole
  31. circumstances
    one's overall condition in life
    You tend to get used to living in dangerous circumstances, otherwise you would spend the whole time terrified.
  32. clearance
    vertical space available to allow easy passage under something
    Trucks with a height over 3.5 metres will have to take a detour as the tunnel does not allow for enough clearance to let them pass safely.
  33. disturbance
    activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption
    Discontent, particularly among young people, has now broken out in street disturbances unprecedented in Sweden.
  34. endurance
    the power to withstand hardship or stress
    Our first camp was probably around 70% fitness work - power, endurance, conditioning. BBC (May 27, 2013)
  35. entrance
    something that provides access to get in
  36. grievance
    a complaint about a wrong that causes resentment
    Anger over rising prices and other grievances have triggered smaller protests in Sudan over the past two years, many of them led by students.
    alternative definition / explanation :a grievance is a problem that makes your life hard and that you have been carrying around with you for a long time
  37. guidance
    something that provides direction or advice
    Its findings are published annually to provide parents with guidance in choosing schools.
    "Guidance" is a bit like "instructions" together with "support" and "show sb the right way to do things"
  38. maintenance
    activity involved in keeping something in good working order
    Many states put off needed road maintenance during the downturn.
  39. nuisance
    anything that disturbs, endangers life, or is offensive
    Following sentencing on Thursday, detectives said cybercrime was a "nuisance" which could cause serious damage to organisations.
  40. performance
    the act of doing something successfully
    alternative definition: the degree to which you complete tasks successfully: "I the creative industry it is not as easy to measure an employee's performance as in the production industry, where you can simply count the amount of pieces produced."
    alternative meanings: the staging and showing of a piece of entertainment
  41. absence
    the state of being not present
  42. adolescence
    the period between the beginning of puberty and adulthood
  43. affluence
    abundant wealth
  44. belligerence
    hostile or warlike attitude or nature
  45. competence
    the quality of being adequately or well qualified
  46. confidence
    belief in yourself and your abilities
  47. convenience
    the quality of being useful
  48. dependence
    the state of relying on someone or something else
  49. diligence
    conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task
  50. evidence
    knowledge on which to base belief
  51. excellence
    possessing good qualities in high degree
  52. existence
    the state or fact of being
  53. impudence
    the trait of being rude and impertinent
  54. incidence
    the relative frequency of occurrence of something
  55. lenience
    mercifulness as a consequence of being lenient or tolerant
    Do not for a moment think that I can look with any lenience or indulgence on all the horrible evil you have laid before me. Roe, Edward Payson
  56. magnificence
    the quality of being splendid or grand
  57. obedience
    the trait of being willing to follow commands or guidance
  58. opulence
    wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living
  59. patience
    good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
  60. persistence
    the act of continuing or repeating
  61. presence
    current existence
  62. reverence
    a feeling of profound respect for someone or something
  63. audience
    a gathering of spectators or listeners at a performance
  64. circumference
    the length of the closed curve of a circle
  65. conference
    a prearranged meeting for consultation or discussion
  66. conscience
    motivation deriving from ethical or moral principles
    alternative definition: the part of your mind that tells you whether your actions are right or wrong
  67. essence
    the choicest or most vital part of some idea or experience
  68. experience
    the content of observation or participation in an event
  69. innocence
    the state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong
  70. intelligence
    the ability to comprehend
  71. interference
    the act of hindering or obstructing or impeding
    alternative definition: the act of messing with sb else's business
  72. persistence
    steady determination
    By contrast patience and persistence really do pay off. Forbes (May 21, 2013)
  73. reference
    the act of consulting
  74. residence
    any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
  75. science
    a branch of study or knowledge involving the observation, investigation, and discovery of general laws or truths that can be tested systematically
  76. sentence
    a string of words satisfying grammatical rules of a language
  77. sequence
    a following of one thing after another in time
  78. silence
    the state of being quiet (as when no one is speaking)
  79. succulence
    a juicy appetizingness
    The new order delighted James, who felt young again, and his hastily improvised suppers were models of unpretentious succulence. Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn
Created on Sun Jun 09 11:59:33 EDT 2013 (updated Sat Jun 15 14:32:25 EDT 2013)

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