-ent

1.
a suffix, equivalent to -ant, appearing in nouns and adjectives of Latin origin:
accident; different.
Origin
< Latin -ent- (stem of -ēns), present participle suffix of conjugations 2, 3, 4
British Dictionary definitions for -ent

-ent

suffix, suffix
1.
causing or performing an action or existing in a certain condition; the agent that performs an action: astringent, dependent
Word Origin
from Latin -ent-, -ens, present participial ending
Word Origin and History for -ent

word-forming element making adjectives from nouns or verbs, from French -ent and directly from Latin -entem, present participle ending of verbs in -ere/-ire. Old French changed many to -ant but after c.1500 some of these in English were changed back to what was supposed to be correct Latin.