The suffix -itis means which of the following?

• A. inflammation
• B. specialist in the study of
• C. study of
• D. condition

Answer: (A)

The suffix -itis denotes inflammation of a body part or organ. That’s why terms like gastritis and dermatitis literally mean the stomach is inflamed and the skin is inflamed, respectively. The other endings describe different concepts: -ist refers to a person who specializes in or studies something (a dermatologist specializes in skin), -ology or -logy means the study of something, and -osis indicates a condition or disease state rather than inflammation. So the best interpretation of -itis is inflammation.