-aholic

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This suffix derived from alcoholic, meaning 'someone addicted to alcohol' (late 19th century), forms words that mean kinds of addiction, and has moved into common use in the last three or four decades, principally in workaholic (1968), and also in words such as golfaholic (1971), newsaholic (1975), bookaholic (1982), and shopaholic (1984) and in more fanciful ad hoc uses such as footballaholic (1974) and spend-a-holic (1982). The suffix appears as -holic in words of two syllables ending in an -er sound, e.g. sugarholic (1965), computerholic (1977). It has proved to be a useful and productive word element, whose progress in the language is to some extent a reflection of social preoccupations.

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For a list of words related to -aholic, see:

• Prefixes and Suffixes - -aholic: one having addiction to something
• Suffixes - -aholic: one who has addiction to or obsession with something (workaholic)

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