Question

what does the suffix -ist mean in the word optimist? among the three sisters, the optimist had the brightest outlook. one who fights conviction or principle one who has imagination or inner vision one who does or believes something one who shows a trait or ability

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of the suffix “-ist” in “optimist”, we analyze the context and the typical meaning of “-ist”. An “optimist” is someone who believes in a positive outlook. The suffix “-ist” generally denotes a person who does or believes something (e.g., “scientist” - one who studies science, “pacifist” - one who believes in peace). Let's evaluate the options:

• “one who fights conviction or principle”: This does not match the meaning of “optimist” or the typical “-ist” suffix.
• “one who has imagination or inner vision”: This is more related to terms like “visionary” and not the meaning of “-ist” in “optimist”.
• “one who does or believes something”: This aligns with “optimist” (one who believes in optimism) and the general meaning of “-ist”.
• “one who shows a trait or ability”: This is not the primary meaning of “-ist”; it's more about belief or action related to a concept.

Answer:

one who does or believes something