roots

Page 1

Root, Prefix or Suffix

Meaning

Examples

a, ac, ad, af, aside ,accompany ,adjust ,aggression to, toward, near, ag, al, an, ,allocate, annihilate ,affix ,associate, attend, in addition to ,by ap, as, at adverb a, an

not, without

apolitical, atheist, anarchy, anonymous, apathy, aphasia, anemia

ab, abs

away from, off

absolve, abrupt, absent

act, ag:

do, act, drive

active, react, agent, active, agitate

am, ami

love, like

amorous, amiable, amicable

ambul

to walk

ambulatory, amble, ambulance, somnambulist

anim

mind, life, spirit, anger

animal, animate, animosity

ann, annu, enni

yearly

annual, annual, annuity, anniversary, perrenial

ante

before

anterior, anteroom, antebellum, antedate, antecedent antediluvian

anti, ant

against, opposite

antisocial, antiseptic, antithesis, antibody, antichrist, antinomies, antifreeze, antipathy

auc, aug, aut

to originate, to increase

augment , author, augment, auction

aud, audi, aur

to hear

audience, auditory, audible, auditorium, audiovisual, audition, auricular

auto

self

automobile, automatic, automotive, autograph, autonomous, autoimmune

-acy, -cy

Noun: state or quality

privacy, nfancy, adequacy, intimacy, supremacy

-age

Noun: activity, or courage, suffrage, shrinkage, tonnage result of action

-al

Noun: action, result of action

referral, disavowal, disposal, festival

-an

Noun: person

artisan, guardian, historian, magician

Noun: action, -ance, -ence state, quality or process

resistance, independence, extravagance, fraudulence

-ancy, -ency

Noun: state, vacancy, agency, truancy, latency quality or capacity

-ant, -ent

Noun: an agent, something that

disinfectant, dependent, fragrant


performs the action -ate

Noun: state, office, fuction

candidate, electorate, delegate

-ation

Noun: action, resulting state

specialization, aggravation, alternation

-ate

Verb: cause to be graduate, ameliorate, amputate, colligate

-able, -ible

Adjective: worth, solvable, incredible ability

-al, -ial, -ical

Adjective: quality, structural, territorial, categorical relation

-ant, -ent, ient

Adjective: kind of important, dependent, convenient agent, indication

-ar, -ary

Adjective: resembling, related to

-ate

Adjective: kind of inviolate state

bene

good, well, gentle

benefactor, beneficial, benevolent, benediction, beneficiary, benefit

bi, bine

two

biped, bifurcate, biweekly, bivalve, biannual

bio, bi

life

biography, biology

bibli, biblio

book

bibliophile, bibliography

brev

short

abbreviate, brevity, brief

cad, cap, cas, ceiv, cept, capt, cid, cip

to take, to seize, to hold

receive, deceive, capable, capacious, captive, accident, capture, occasion, concept

cat, cata, cath

down, with

catalogue, category, catheter

ceas, cede, ceed, cess

to go, to yield

succeed, proceed, precede, recede, secession, exceed, succession

cent

hundred

centennial, century, centipede

centr

center

eccentricity, centrifugal, concentric

chron

time

chronology, chronic, chronicle chronometer, anachronism

cide, cis

to kill, to cut

fratricide, suicide, incision, excision, circumcision

around

circumnavigate, circumflex, circumstance, circumcision, circumference, circumorbital, circumlocution, circumvent, circumscribe,

circum

spectacular, unitary


circulatory clam, claim

shout

acclaim, clamor, proclaim, exclaim

clin

lean, bend

decline, aclinic, inclination

clud, clus claus

to close, shut

include, exclude, clause, claustrophobia, enclose, exclusive, reclusive, conclude

co, cog, col, con, com, with, together cor

cohesiveness, cognate, collaborate, convene, commitment, compress, contemporary, converge, compact, confluence, convenient, concatenate, conjoin, combine, correct

com, con

fully

complete, compel, conscious, condense, confess, comfirm

cogn, gnos

know to know

recognize cognizant diagnose agnostic

contra, counter

against, opposite

contradict, counteract, contravene, contrary, counterspy, contrapuntal

corp

body

corporate, corpse, corpulent, incorporate

cour, cur, curr, curs

run, course

occur, excursion, discourse, courier, course

cort

correct

escort, cortage

cre, cresc, cret, crease

grow

create, crescent, accretion, increase

cred

to believe

credo, credible, credence, credit, credential, incredible, credulity, incredulous

cycl

circle, wheel

bicycle, cyclical, cycle, encliclical

de

from, down, detach, deploy, derange, decrease, away, to do the deodorize, devoid, deflate, degenerate, deice opposite, against

dec

ten

decimal, decade, decalogue, decimate

dec, dign

suitable

decent decorate dignity

dei, div

God

divinity, divine, deity, divination, deify

demo

people

democracy, demagogue, epidemic

di

two

divide, diverge, diglycerides

dia

through, across, between

diameter, diagonal, dialogue dialect, dialectic, diagnosis, diachronic

dic, dict, dit

say, speak

predict, verdict, malediction, dictionary, dictate, dictum, diction, indict

dit

give

dis, dys, dif

dismiss, differ, disallow, disperse, dissuade, away, not, divide, disconnect, dysfunction, negative, opposite disproportion, disrespect, distemper, of, separate distrust, distaste, disarray, dyslexia


doc, doct

teach, prove

docile, doctor, doctrine, document

dog, dox

thought, idea

dogma, orthodox, paradox

duc, duct

to lead, pull

produce, abduct, product, transducer, viaduct, aqueduct, induct, deduct, reduce, induce

-dom

Noun: place, state wisdom of being

ecto

outside, external

ectomorph, ectoderm, ectoplasm

endo

inside, withing

endotoxin, endoscope, endogenous

equi

equal

equidistant, equilateral, equilibrium, equinox, equitable, equation, equator

e, ex, ef, es, out, away, from, ec fully

emit, expulsion, exhale, exit, express, exclusive, enervate, expel ,exceed, explosion

en, em

put into, make

enamor, empower

epi

upon, beside, over

epilogue

ev, et

time, age

medieval, eternal

exter, extra

outside of, beyond

external, extrinsic, exterior extraordinary, extrabiblical extracurricular, extrapolate, extraneous

-er, -or

Noun: person or thing that does something

porter, collector

-ed

Verb: past tense

attained

-en

Verb: to cause to moisten become

-er, -or

Verb: action

-ed

Adjective: having terraced the quality of

-en

Adjective: material

silken

-er

Adjective: comparative

brighter

-est

Adjective: superlative

strongest

fa, fess

speak

fable, fabulous, fame, famous, confess, profess

ponder, clamor

fac, fact, fec, make do, do fic, fas, fea

difficult, fashion, feasible, feature, factory, fact, effect

femto

femtosecond

quadrillionth


fer

bear, carry

fertile, infer, refer

fic, feign, shape, make, fain, fit, feat fashion

fiction, faint, feign

fid

belief, faith

confide, diffident, fidelity

fig

shape, form

figurem, effigy, figure, figment

flect, flex

to bend

flexible, reflection, deflect, circumflex

flict

strike

affliction, conflict, inflict

flu, fluct, flux

flow

effluence, influence, effluvium, fluctuate, confluence, reflux, influx, fluid

for, fore

before

forecast, fortune, foresee

form

shape

format, formulate

fort

strength

effort, forte, fortifiable

fract, frag, frai

break

frail, fracture, fragment

fuge

flee

subterfuge, refuge, centrifuge

fuse

pour

-ful

Noun: an amount or quanity that mouthful fills

-ful

Adjective: having, fanciful giving, marked by

-fold

Adverb: in a manner of, marked by

-fy

make

gen, gin

to give birth, kind generate, generally, gingerly, indigenous

geo

earth

geography

giga

billion

gigabyte, gigaflop

gor

to gather, to bring together

category, categorize

fourfold

grad, gress, to gather, to gree bring together

grade, degree, progress

graph, gram, to write, draw graf

polygraph, grammar, biography, graphite, telegram, autograph, lithograph, historiography, graphic

hale

brathe

her, hes

to stick

adhere, hesitate

hetero

other

heterodox, heterogeneous, heterosexual, heterodyne


hex, ses, sex six

hexagon, hexameter, sestet, sextuplets

homo

same

homogenized, homosexual, homonym, homophone

hyper

over, above

hyperactive, hypertensive, hyperbolic, hypersensitive, hyperventilate, hyperkinetic

in, im, il, ir

not

illegible, irresolute, inaction, inviolate, innocuous, intractable, innocent, impregnable, impossible, imposter

in, im, (il)

in, into, on, near, instead, import toward

infra

beneath

infrared, infrastructure

inter

between, among

international, intercept, interject, intermission, internal, intermittent,

intro

into, within

interoffice, introvert, introspection, introduce

it

go

-ian, an

Noun: related to, pedestrian, human one that is

-ia

Noun: names, diseases

phobia

-iatry

Noun: art of healing

psychiatry

-ic, ics

Noun: related to the arts and sciences

arithmetic, economics

-ice

Noun: act

malice

-ing

Noun: material made for, activity, flooring, swimming, building result of an activity

-ion

Noun: condition or action

abduction

-ism

Noun: doctrine, belief, action or conduct

formalism

-ist

Noun: person or member

podiatrist

-ite

Noun: state or quality

graphite

-ity, ty

Noun: state or quality

lucidity, novelty

-ive

Noun: condition

native


-ify

Verb: cause

specify

-ing

Verb: present participle

depicting

-ize

Verb: cause

fantasize

-ic

Adjective: quality, generic relation

-ile

Adjective: having projectile the qualities of

-ing

Adjective: activity cohering

-ish

Adjective: having newish the character of

-ive, -ative, - Adjective: having festive, cooperative, sensitive itive the quality of jac, ject

to throw

judice

judge

jug, junct, just

to join

labor

work

lex, leag, leg law

reject, eject, project, trajectory, interject, dejected, inject, ejaculate

junction, adjust, conjugal

legal, college, league

lect, leg, lig

choose, gather, select, read

lide

strike

loc

place, area

location, locally

log

say, speech, word, reason, study

logic

luc, lum, lust:

light

translucent, illuminate, illustrate

lude

play

-less

Adjective: without, missing

motiveless

-ly

Adverb: in the manner of

fluently

mal

bad, badly

malformation, maladjusted, dismal, malady, malcontent,malfunction, malfeasance, maleficent

man, manu

hand, make, do

manage, management

main

bide

metr

admeasure

collect, legible, eligible


megaphone, megaton, megaflop, megalomaniac, megabyte, megalopolis

mega

great, million

mem

recall, remember memory, commemorate

ment

mind

mental, mention

min

little, small

minute, minor, minuscule

meso

middle

mesomorph, mesoamerica, mesosphere

meta

beyond, change

metaphor, metamorphosis, metabolism, metahistorical, metainformation

micro

millionth

microgram, microvolt

mill, kilo

thousand

millennium, kilobyte, kiloton

milli

thousandth

millisecond, milligram, millivolt

mis

misconduct, misinform, misinterpret, wrong, bad, badly mispronounce, misnomer, mistake, misogynist

mit, miss

to send

transmit, permit, missile, missionary, remit, admit, missive, mission

mob, mov, mot

move

motion, remove, mobile

mono

one

monopoly, monotype, monologue, mononucleosis, monorail, monotheist,

morph

shape

polymorphic, morpheme, amorphous

multi

many

multitude, multipartite, multiply, multipurpose

-ment

Noun: condition or result

document

nano

billionth

nanosecond, nanobucks

nasc, nat, gnant, nai

to be born

nascent, native, pregnant, naive

nom, nym

name

nominate, synonym

non

nine

nonagon

non

not

nonferrous, nonsense, nonabrasive, nondescript

nov

new

novice, novelty

-ness

Noun: state, kindness condition, quality

oct

eight

octopus, octagon, octogenarian, octave

ob, oc, of, op

toward, against, in the way

oppose, occur, offer, obtain

omni

all

omnipotent, omnivorous, omniscient


oper

work

operate, opus

over

excessive, above

overwork, overall, overwork

-or

Noun: condition or activity

valor

-ory

Noun: place for, serves for

territory

Adjective: having -ous, -eous, the quality of, adventurous, courageous, verbose, fractious -ose, -ious relating to pair, pare

arrange

pat, pass, path

feel, suffer

patient, passion, sympathy, pathology

para

beside

paradox, paraprofessional, paramedic, paraphrase, parachute

ped, pod

foot

impede, pedestal, podium, pedestrian

pel, puls

drive, push

repel, pulse

pend, pond, to hang, weigh pens

suspend, append

per

through, intensive

persecute, permit, perspire, perforate, persuade

peri

around

periscope, perimeter, perigee, periodontal

phan, phas, show, make phen, fan, visible phant, fant

phantom, fantasy

phe

speak

phil

love

philosopher

phon

sound

telephone, phonics, phonograph, phonetic, homophone, microphone

phot

light

photograph, photosynthesis, photon

pico

trillionth

picofarad, picocurie

pict

paint, show, draw picture, depict

pli, ply

fold

plore

weep

poly

many

polytheist, polygon, polygamy, polymorphous

pon, pos

put, place

postpone, position, posture

port

to carry

porter, portable, report, transportation, deport, import, export

post

after, behind

postpone, postdate

reply, implicate, ply


pre, pur

before

prim, prin

first

pro

for, foward

propel

psych

mind

psychology

pute

think

quat, quad

four

quint, penta five

precede

quadrangle, quadruplets quintet, quintuplets, pentagon, pentane, pentameter

quip

ship

quir, quis, quest, quer

seek, ask

query, inquire, exquisite, quest

re

back, again

report, realign, retract, revise, regain

retro

backwards

retrorocket, retrospect, retrogression, retroactive

rupt

break

rupture, corrupt, interrupt

sanct

holy

sanctify, sanctuary, sanction, sanctimonious, sacrosanct

sci, scio

to know

conscious, science

scrib, script

to write

inscription, prescribe, proscribe, manuscript, conscript, scribble, scribe

se

apart, move away secede from

sect, sec

cut

intersect, transect, dissect, secant, section

sent, sens

feel, think

sentiment, sensation

semi

half

semifinal, semiconscious, semiannual, semimonthly, semicircle

sept

seven

septet, septennial

serve

keep

sequ, secut, follow sue

sequence, consecutive, ensue

sist

to withstand, make up

insist

soci

to join, companions

sociable, society

sol

alone

solitary, isolate

solv, solu, solut

loosen, explain

solve, absolute, soluble

spect, spec, to look, see spi, spic,

inspect, spectator, circumspect, retrospect, prospect, spectacle


sper

hope

spir

breath, soul

respiration, inspire

stand, stant, stab, stat, stand stan, sti, sta, st, stead

stature, establish, stance

strain, strict, bind, pull string, stige

constrict, restrain, stringent, prestige

stru, struct, stroy, stry

destroy, misconstrue, obstruct

build

sub, suc, under, below, suf, sup, sur, from, secretly, sus instead of

sustain, survive, support, suffice, succeed, submerge, submarine, substandard, subnormal, subvert

super, supra over, above

superior, suprarenal, superscript, supernatural, superimpose, supercede

syn, sym

together, at the same time

sympathy, synthesis, synchronous, syndicate

-ship

Noun: status, condition

relationship

-ster

person

tact, tang, tig, ting

touch

tactile, tactilely, tangible, contiguous, contingent

tain, ten, tent, tin

hold, keep, have

retain, continue, content, tenacious

tect, teg

cover

detect, protect, tegular, tegument

tele

distance, from afar

television, telephone, telegraph, telemetry

tend, tens, tend

stretch

contend, extensive

tera

trillion

terabyte, teraflop

term

end, boundary, limit

exterminate, terminal

terr

earth

territory, terrain

test

see, witness

attest, testify

tire

draw, pull

theo, the

God

theology, theist, polytheist

therm

heat

thermometer, thermal

tor, tors, tort twist

torsion, torment, contort

tract, trai, treat

attract, tractor, traction, extract, retract, protract, detract, subtract, contract,

to drag, draw , pull


intractable trans

across, beyond, change

transform, transoceanic, transmit, transport, transducer

tri

three

tripod, triangle, trinity, trilateral

tribute

give

un

not, against, opposite

unceasing

uni

one

uniform, unilateral, universal, unity, unanimousone, unite, unison

unti

before

-ure

Noun: act, condition, exposure, conjecture process, function

vac

empty

vade

go

veh, vect

to carry

vector, vehicle, convection, vehement

ven, vent

come

convene, invent, prevent

ver

true

verify

verb, verv

word

verify, veracity, verbalize, verve

vert, vers

to turn, change

convert, revert, advertise, versatile, vertigo, invert, reversion, extravert, introvert

vi

way

vid, vie, vis

see

visible, video, review, indivisible

vit, viv

life

vital, vitality, vitamins, revitalize, revive

voc, voke

call

vocal, revoke

volv, volt, vol

roll, turn

revolve, revolt, evolution

with

against

-ward

Adverb: in a direction or manner

homeward

-wise

Adverb: in the manner of, with regard to

timewise

-y

Noun: state, condition, result of an activity

society, victory

-y

Adjective: marked hungry by, having

vacant, vacuum


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