In our professional life good vocabulary plays a vital role. However, everytime we learn a word unless its put to use regularly we find it extremely difficult to keep it in our mind for a longer time. One of the easy ways to learn worsd in english is to learn the root words, which are basically from languages like Greek, Latin, French, etc. from which English has derived. The following root wors will help us learn English vocabulary faster, a bit easily and remember forever.
Link | Root | Meanings | Sample Words and Definitions |
a/n | not, without | abyss - without bottom; achromatic - without color; anhydrous - without water | |
a | on | afire - on fire; ashore - on the shore; aside - on the side | |
ab/s, a | from, away, off | abduct - carry away by force; abnormal - away from normal, not normal; absent - away, not present; aversion - the act of turning away from; abbreviate: to shorten. | |
ac, ad | to, toward, near | accelerate - to increase the speed of; accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained; admittance - allowing into; | |
acro | top, height, tip, beginning | acrobat - a "high walker"; acronym - a word formed from the first (capital) letters of a word; acrophobia - fear of height | |
act | do | activity - something that a person does; react - to do something in response; interaction - communication between two or more things | |
aer/o | air | aerate - to let air reach something; aerial - relating to the air; aerospace - the air space | |
agr/i/o | farming | agriculture - management of the land, agribusiness - making money by utilizing land; agrarian - relating to the management of land | |
alg/o | pain | neuralgia - pain caused by a nerve; analgesic - a drug that makes one pain free; nostalgia - aching for the familiar | |
ambi, amphi | both, on both sides, around | ambidextrous - able to use both hands equally; ambiguous - having more than one meaning; ambivalence - conflicting or opposite feelings toward a person or thing | |
ambul | walk, move | amble - to walk in a slow, relaxed way; ambulant - walking or moving around; ambulance - a vehicle that moves a patient | |
ami/o | love | amiable - friendly, pleasant, lovable; amity - friendly and peaceful relations; amorous - showing romantic love | |
ana | up, back, against, again, throughout | analysis - a close examination of something; anatomy - the structure of something as visible when cut up for analysis; anachronism - not being in the right place in time | |
andr/o | man, male | androgynous - being both male and female; android - resembling a human; misandry - hatred towards men | |
anim | life, spirit | animal - a living organism; animate - to make alive; equanimity - of balanced spirit | |
ann/enn | year | anniversary - a date observed once a year; annual - happening once a year; millennium - 1,000 years | |
ante | before, in front | antecede - to come before something in time; antemeridian - before noon; anteroom- a small room before the main room | |
anth/o | flower | chrysanthemum and amaranth - names of flowers; anthology - a collection of treasured writings; anthozoan - half plant, half animal, like anemones and corals. | |
anthrop/o | human | anthropology - the study of mankind; anthropomorphism - giving human form to non-human things; philanthropy - the love to mankind (expressed through good deeds) | |
anti | against, opposite of | antibody - a substance that destroys micro-organisms; antiseptic - preventing infection; antisocial - opposing social norm | |
apo, apho | away, off, separate | aphorism - a short expression of a general truth; apology - an explicit expression of regret, apostrophe - a small dash used in place of an omitted letter | |
aqu/a | water | aquarium - a water container for fish; aquatic- relating to water; aqueduct - a pipeline for water | |
arbor | tree | arborist - someone working with trees; arbor - a shady area formed by trees; arborous - having many trees | |
arch/i | chief, most important, rule | archbishop - the highest ranking bishop; archenemy - chief or worst enemy; matriarch - a female who rules a group; monarch - a king or queen | |
arch/a/i | primitive, ancient | archaeology - the study of ancient cultures; archaic - belonging to an earlier period; archive - a collection of historical materials | |
arthr/o | joint | arthroscope - a tool to see inside a joint; arthritis - inflammation of a joint; arthropod - invertebrates with jointed legs, like spiders, crustaceans, insects | |
art | skill | artifact - object made by a person's skill; artisan - a person skilled in a craft; artist - a person who creates skillfully | |
astro, aster | star, stars, outer space | astronaut - a person traveling to the stars; astronomer - someone who studies the stars; asterisk - a star-shaped sign used as a reference tool | |
aud/i/io | hear | audible - loud enough to be heard; audience - people who listen to a program; audiovisual - relating to sound and vision | |
auto | self, same, one | autocrat - a person who governs with absolute power; autograph - a person's own signature; automatic - moving by itself | |
avi/a | bird | aviary - a large enclosure for birds; aviatrix - a female airplane pilot; aviation - the art of designing or operating aircraft | |
bar/o | pressure, weight | baric - pertaining to pressure, esp. of the atmosphere; milliard - metric unit, equal to 1/1000th of a bar; baryon - heavy elementary particle | |
bell/i | war | bellicose - warlike; belligerent - hostile, ready to fight; rebel - person who opposes and fights | |
bene | good, well | benefactor - person who gives money to a cause; beneficial - producing a good effect; benevolent - showing kindness or goodwill | |
bi/n | two, twice, once in every two | biannual - happening twice a year; binoculars - optical device with two lenses; bilateral - of or involving two sides | |
bibli/o | book | bibliography - a list of books used as sources; bibliomania - an extreme love of books; bibliophile - a person who loves books | |
bio | life, living matter | biography- a life story written by another person; biology - the science of life; biosphere - Earth's surface inhabited by living things | |
blast/o | cell, primitive, immature cell | blastula - an early stage of embryonic development; fibroblast - a cell that forms connective tissue; blastoderm - the layer surrounding the inside of an egg | |
capt, cept, ceive | take, hold | intercept - to stop or interrupt; perceive - to take notice of something; captivating - taking hold of | |
cardi/o | heart | cardiac - relating to the heart; cardiogenic - resulting from heart disease; cardiologist - a heart doctor | |
carn/i | flesh, meat | carnivorous - flesh-eating; carnal - pertaining to the body or flesh; incarnate - given bodily form | |
cata | down, against completely, intensive, according to | cataclysm - a flood or other disaster, catalog - a complete listing; catastrophe - turning for the worst, a substantial disaster | |
caust, caut | to burn | cauterize - to burn with a hot instrument; caustic - capable of burning or eating away; holocaust - total devastation, especially by fire | |
cede, ceed, cess | go, yield | exceed - to go beyond the limits; recede - to go back; accessible - easily entered, approached, or obtained; | |
celer | fast | accelerate - to increase the speed of; decelerate - to reduce the speed of | |
cent/i | hundred, hundredth | centennial- the 100th anniversary; centimeter - 1/100 of a meter; century - 100 years | |
centr/o/i | center | egocentric - self-centered; eccentric - not having a common center, not according to norm; centrifugal - moving outward from a center | |
cephal/o | head | encephalitis - inflammation of the brain; cephalic - pertaining to the head; cephalopod - marine mollusks like octopus and squid who have tentacles growing from their head | |
cerebr/o | brain | cerebral - pertaining to the brain; cerebrate - to use the brain; cerebrospinal - pertaining to the brain and the spinal cord | |
cert | sure | ascertain- to find out something with certainty; certain - being absolutely sure; certify - to state that something is true | |
chrom/o chromat/o, chros | color, pigment | achromatic - without color; chromium - a blue-white metallic chemical element, chromatics - the study of color | |
chron/o | time | chronic - lasting for a long time; chronological - arranging events in time order, synchronize - happening at the same time | |
chrys/o | gold, yellow | chrysanthemum and helichrysum - golden/yellow flowers; chrysolite - a yellowish gem | |
cide, cise | cut, kill | homicide - murder; incisor - a sharp tooth for cutting food; insecticide - a chemical used to kill insects | |
circum, circle | around, about | circumnavigate - to sail around; circumscribe - to draw around; circumspect - looking around | |
claim, clam | shout, speak out | clamor - to shout and make noise; exclaim - to cry out loudly and suddenly; proclamation - something announced officially in public | |
clar | clear | clarification - an explanation; clarify - to make something clear; declare - to state something clearly | |
clud, clus | close | conclusion - the end or last part; exclusion - shutting out, rejecting; seclude - to keep away from; to isolate | |
cline | lean | inclination - a leaning toward; incline - a surface that slopes or leans; recline - to lean back and relax | |
co | with, together, joint | coauthor - writer who collaborates with another author; coeducation - educating males and females together; cohousing - planning your neighborhood in an intentional neighborly fashion | |
col | together, jointly | Collaborate - to work together; collision - smashing together; colloquial - words formed by everday interaction | |
com | together, common | commemorate - to memorize together; composition - an arrangement or putting together of parts; commune - living together while owning things in common | |
cogn/i | know | cognition - process of acquiring knowledge; incognito - disguised so no one knows you; recognize - to discover that one knows | |
con | with, jointly | concur - to agree with someone; contemporary - of the same time period as others; convention - a gathering of people with a common interest | |
contra/o | against, opposite | contradict to argue against, Contraflow, contraception, contrary not in agreement, controversy disagreement | |
corp/o | body | corporation - a company recognized by law as a single body; corpse - a dead body; corporal - pertaining to the body | |
cosm/o | universe | cosmonaut - a Russian astronaut; cosmos - the universe; microcosm - a miniature universe | |
counter | opposite, contrary, opposing | counteract - to oppose the effects of an action; countermand - to cancel a previous order; counteroffensive - attack against an attack | |
cranio | skull | craniology - the study of skull characteristics; cranium - skull of vertebrates; cranial - pertaining to the skull | |
cred | believe | credence - belief that something is true or valid; credulous - believing things too easily, gullible; incredible - unbelievable | |
crypto | hidden, secret | cryptic - of hidden meaning; cryptography - science of secret codes; encrypt - encode into secret code | |
cumul | mass, heap | accumulate - to gather or pile up; cumulative - gradually building up | |
cycl | circle, ring | bicycle - a vehicle with two wheels; cycle - a sequence that is repeated; cyclone - a storm with circling winds | |
de | reduce, away, down, remove | decelerate - to slow down, reduce speed; dethrone - to remove from power; debug - to remove bugs | |
dec/a, deka | ten | decade - 10 years; decathlon - athletic contest that includes 10 disciplines in which each participant competes; December - formerly the 10th month of the Roman calendar | |
deci | one tenth | deciliter - a tenth of a liter; decimate - reduce dramatically; decibel - one tenth of the sound volume unit bel | |
dem/o | people | democracy - government of the people; demographic - the study of people; epidemic - spreading among people in a region | |
demi | half, less than | demitasse - a small cup of coffee; demimonde - someone of little respected life style | |
dendr/o/i | tree | philodendron - a climbing plant that grows on trees; dendrochronology - dating events by studying growth rings in trees; dendriform - in the shape of a tree | |
dent, dont | tooth | dental - relating to teeth; dentist - a doctor for the teeth; dentures - a set of false teeth | |
derm/a | skin | dermatologist - a doctor for the skin; pachyderm - a class of animals with very thick skin (elephant, rhinoceros); dermatitis - inflammation of the skin | |
di/plo | two, twice | dichromatic - displaying two colors; diploma - a certificate, literally "a letter folded double"; dilemma - a situation that requires a choice between two alternatives. | |
di/s | apart, away, not, to the opposite | digression - a departure from the main issue, subject; disappear - to move out of sight; dissect - to cut apart piece by piece. | |
dia | through, between, apart, across | diabetes - disease characterized by excessive thirst and discharge of urine; diagnosis - understanding a condition by going through a detailed review of symptoms; dialog - conversation between two people. | |
dict | speak | contradict - to express the opposite of; prediction - a statement foretelling the future; dictate - to speak out loud for another person to write down. | |
domin | master | dominate - to be the master of; domineering - excessively controlling; predominate - to have more power than others | |
don/at | give | donation - a contribution or gift; donor - someone who gives something; pardon - to give forgiveness for an offense | |
duc/t | lead | conduct - to lead musicians in playing music; educate - to lead to knowledge; deduction - a subtraction of an amount. | |
du/o | two, twice | duplicate - make an identical copy; duet - a musical composition for two voices or instruments; duo - a pair normally thought of as being together. | |
dur | harden, to last, lasting | durable - having the quality of lasting; duration - the length of time something lasts; enduring - able to last. | |
dyn/a/am | power, energy, strength | dynamo - a generator of energy; dynamic - having physical energy/power; dynamite - a powerful explosive. | |
dys | abnormal, bad | dyspepsia - abnormal indigestion; dystopia - an imaginary place of total misery; dyslexia - impairment of the ability to handle words. | |
e- | out, away | eloquent - speaking beautifully and forcefully; emissary - a representative of a country or group sent on a mission; eject - throw out forcefully. | |
ego | self | egoistic - self-centered; alter ego - a higher aspect of oneself; egomania - excessive preoccupation with oneself. | |
em, en | into, cover with, cause | empathy - intention to feel like another person; empower - put into power; engorge - make larger. | |
endo | within, inside | endotherm - a creature that can keep its inside temperature fairly constant; endocrine - relating to glands that secrete directly into the blood or lymph; endogamy - the custom to marry within one's clan, tribe etc. | |
enn/i, anni | years | bicentennial - of or relating to an age or period of 200 years; centennial - of or relating to an age or period of 100 years; perennial -lasting through many years. | |
en, in | inside, inwards | envision - to picture in the mind; enclose - lock inside; inwards - towards the inside. | |
ep/i | on, upon, over, among, at, after, to, outside | epidemic - the rapid spread of something negative; epilogue - a short speech delivered after a play; epicenter - the center of an earthquake. | |
equ/i | equal, equally | equidistant - an equal distance from two points; equanimity - calm temperament, evenness of temper; equation - a statement of equality. | |
erg/o | work | ergonomics - study of the working environment; energy - the power to accomplish work; energetics - science that looks at energy and its transformation. | |
esth/aesth | feeling, sensation, beauty | esthetician - someone who beautifies; aesthetic - pertaining to a sense of beauty; kinesthesia - the sensation of bodily movement. | |
ethno | race, people | ethnic - pertaining to a defined group of people; ethnocentric - focusing on the ethnicity of people; ethnology - the science of people and races. | |
eu | good, well | euphemism - replacing an offensive word with an inoffensive one; euphonious - having a pleasant sound; euphoria - feeling of well-being. | |
ex | from, out, | excavate - to dig out; exhale - to breathe out; extract - to pull out. | |
extra, extro | outside, beyond | extraordinary - beyond ordinary; extraterrestrial - outside the Earth; extrovert - an outgoing person. | |
fac/t | make, do | artifact - an object made by a person; factory - a place where things are made; malefact - a person who does wrong. | |
fer | bear, bring, carry | confer - to bring an honor to someone; ferry - a boat that carries passengers; transfer - to move to another place. | |
fid | faith | confide - place trust in someone, fidelity - faithfulness; fiduciary - a trustee; | |
flect | bend | deflect - to bend course because of hitting something; inflection - a bending in the voice's tone or pitch; flexible - easily bending. | |
flor/a, fleur | flower | florist - someone working with flowers; floral - flowerlike; flora - the plant life of a particular time or area | |
for | completely (used to intensify the meaning of a word) | forsaken or forfeited - completely lost; forgiven - completely given (a release of debt). | |
fore | in front of, previous, earlier | forebear - ancestor; forebode - to give an advance warning of something bad; forecast - a preview of events to be. | |
fract, frag | break | fracture - a break; fragile - easy to break; fragment or fraction - a part or element of a larger whole; | |
fug | flee, run away, escape | fugitive - a person who is running away; refuge - a sheltered place to flee to; refugee - a person seeking protection | |
funct | perform, work | defunct - no longer working or alive; function - to work or perform a role normally; malfunction - to fail to work correctly. | |
fus | pour | confusion - being flooded with too much information that is hard to make sense of; fuse - to melt by heating; infuse - to put into. | |
gastr/o | stomach | gastric - pertaining to the stomach; gastronomy - serving the stomach by providing good food; gastritis - inflammation of the stomach. | |
gen/o/e/ genesis | birth, production, formation, kind | genealogy - the study of the history of a family; generation - all the people born at approximately the same time; genetic -relating to heredity encoded in the genes. | |
geo | earth, soil, global | geography - study of the earth's surface; geology - study of the structure of the earth; geoponics - soil based agriculture. | |
ger | old age | geriatrics - medicine pertaining to the elderly; gerontocracy - the rule of the elders; gerontology - the science of aging. | |
giga | a billion | gigabyte - unit of computer storage space; gigahertz - unit of frequency (one billion Hz/sec); gigawatt unit of electric power (one billion watts). | |
gon | angle | decagon - a polygon with 10 angles; diagonal - a slanting line running across a space; octagon - a geometrical figure with 8 angles. | |
gram | letter, written | diagram - a simple drawing; grammar - rules of how to write words in sentences; telegram - a message sent by telegraph. | |
graph/y | writing, recording, written | Graphology - the study of handwritings; autograph - written with one's own hand; seismograph - a machine noting strength and duration of earthquakes. | |
grat | pleasing | gratify - to please someone; grateful - feeling thankful; gratuity - a tip, token of appreciation. | |
gyn/o/e | woman, female | gynecology - the science of female reproductive health; gynephobia - fear of women; gynecoid - resembling a woman. | |
gress, grad/e/i | to step, to go | digression - a departure from the main issue, subject, etc.; progress - movement forward or onward; gradual - step by step. | |
hect/o, hecat | hundred | hectoliter - 100 liters; hectare - metric unit equaling 100 ares or 10,000 square meters; hectometer - 100 meters. | |
helic/o | spiral, circular | helicopter - an aircraft with horizontal rotating wing; helix - a spiral form; helicon - a circular tuba. | |
heli/o | sun | heliotropism - movement or growth in relating to the sun; heliograph - apparatus used to send message with the help of sunlight; helianthus - genus of plants including sunflowers. | |
hemi | half, partial | hemicycle - a semicircular structure; hemisphere - one half of the earth; hemistich - half a line of poetry. | |
hem/o/a | blood | hemorrhage - clotting of the blood; hemorrhoids - swelling of the blood vessels; hemoglobin - red blood particle. | |
hepa | liver | hepatitis - inflammation of the liver; hepatoma - a tumor of the liver; hepatotoxic - toxic and damaging to the liver. | |
hept/a | seven | heptagon - a shape with seven angles and seven sides; Heptateuch - the first seven books of the Old Testament; heptameter - a line of verse consisting of seven metrical feet. | |
herbi | grass, plant | herbicide - any chemical used to kill unwanted plants, etc.; herbivorous - plant-eating; herbal - relating to plants. | |
hetero | different, other | heterogeneous - made up of unrelated parts; heteronyms - words with same spelling but different meanings; heterodox - not conforming to traditional beliefs. | |
hex/a | six | hexagon - a shape with six angles/sides; hexameter - a verse measured in six; hexapod - having six legs. | |
histo | tissue | histology - study of the microscopic structure of tissues; histochemistry - study of the chemical constitution of cells and tissues. | |
homo, homeo | like, alike, same | homogeneous - of the same nature or kind; homonym - sounding alike; homeopath - a therapy that is based on treating "same with same" | |
hydr/o | liquid, water | hydrate - to add water to; hydrophobia - intense fear of water; hydroponics - growing plants in liquid nutrient solution; hydraulic - operated by force created by a liquid. | |
hygr/o | moisture, humidity | hygrometer - tool used to measure humidity; hygrograph - instrument for recording variations in atmospheric humidity. | |
hyper | too much, over, excessive, beyond | hyperactive - very restless; hypercritical - too critical; hypertension - above normal pressure. | |
hyp/o | under | hypoglycemia - an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood; hypothermia - abnormally low body temperature; hypothesis - a theory that is unproven but used under the assumption that it is true. | |
iatr/o | medical care | geriatrics - medical care of the elderly; pediatrician - a doctor who treats children; podiatry - medical care for feet. | |
icon/o | image | icon - an (often religious) image, in modern usage a simplified graphic of high symbolic content; iconology - science of symbols and icons; iconoclast - someone who destroys religious images and traditional beliefs. | |
idio | peculiar, personal, distinct | idiomatic - Peculiar to a particular language; idiosyncracy - a physical or mental characteristic typical or a particular person; idiot - someone who is distinctly foolish or stupid. | |
il, in | in, into | illuminate - to give light to; innovation - a new idea, method, or device; inspection - the act of examining or reviewing. | |
ig, il, im, in, ir | not, without | illegal - not legal; impossible - not possible; inappropriate - not appropriate; irresponsible - not responsible. | |
imag | likeness | image - a likeness of someone; imaginative - able to think up new ideas or images; imagine - to form a picture or likeness in the mind. | |
infra | beneath, below | infrastructure - underlying framework of a system; infrared - below the regular light spectrum. | |
inter | between, among, jointly | international - involving two or more countries; intersection - place where roads come together; intercept - to stop or interrupt the course of. | |
intra, intro | within, inside | intrastate - existing in one state; intravenous - inside or into a vein; introvert - shy person who keeps within him/herself. | |
ir | not | irredeemable - not redeemable; irreformable - not reformable; irrational - not rational. | |
iso | equal | isobar - a line on a map connecting points of equal barometric pressure; isometric - having equality of measure; isothermal - having equal or constant temperature. | |
ject | throw | eject - to throw someone/something out; interject - to throw a remark into a discussion; project - to cast or throw something. | |
jud | law | judgment - a decision of a court of law; judicial - having to do with judges or courts of law; judiciary - a system of courts of law. | |
junct | join | conjunction - a word that joins parts of sentences; disjunction - a disconnection; junction - a place where two things join. | |
juven | young | juvenile - youthful or childish; rejuvenate - to bring back to youthful strength or appearance. | |
kilo | thousand | kilobyte - 1,000 bytes; kilometer - 1,000 meter; kilograms - 1,000 grams. | |
kine/t /mat | motion, division | kinetics - study of the force of motion; psychokinesis or telekinesis - the ability to move objects with your mind; cinematography - motion picture making. | |
lab | work | collaborate - to work with a person; elaborate - to work out the details; laborious - requiring a lot of hard work. | |
lact/o | milk | lactate - to give milk, nurse; lactose - the sugar contained in milk; lactic acid. | |
later | side | bilateral - of or involving two sides; unilateral - affecting one side of something. | |
leuk/o, leuc/o | white, colorless | leukemia - abnormal increase of white blood cells in the blood; leukocyte - a mature white blood cell; leucine - a white, crystalline amino acid. | |
lex | word, law, reading | lexicology - the study and history of words; alexia -loss of the ability to read; illegal - not authorized by the official rules or laws. | |
liber | free | liberate - to set free; libertine - a person with a free, wild lifestyle; liberty - freedom. | |
lingu | language, tongue | linguist - one who studies languages; multilingual - able to communicate in multiple languages; linguine - long, flat "tongue-shaped" pasta. | |
lip/o | fat | liposuction - the mechanical removal of fat reserves in the tissue; lipase - enzyme that breaks down fat; lipoid - resembling fat. | |
lite, ite, lith/o | mineral, rock, fossil | apatite - a group of common minerals; granite - a hard, granular rock; monolith - a remarkable, unique stone. | |
loc | place | dislocate - to put something out of its usual place; location - a place; relocate - to move to a new place. | |
log/o | word, doctrine, discourse | logic - correct reasoning; monologue - a long speech by one speaker;analogy - similarity, especially between things otherwise dissimilar. | |
loqu, locu | speak | eloquent - speaking beautifully and forcefully ; loquacious - very talkative; elocution - art of public speaking. | |
luc | light | elucidate - to explain, to throw light on; lucid - easily understood, giving off light; translucent - allowing light through. | |
lud, lus | to play | prelude - introduction to the major performance; illusion - misleading optical image or impression; delude - to mislead, deceive. | |
lumin | light | illuminate - to fill with light; lumen - unit measuring light. | |
lun/a/i | moon | lunar - relating to the moon; lunarscape - the surface of the moon; lunatic - insane (as if driven mad by the moon). | |
macro | large, great | macroevolution - large scale evolution; macromolecule - a large molecule; macroeconomics - study of the overall forces of economy. | |
magn/a/i | great, large | magnify - make larger; magnificent - grand; magnate - a powerful person, especially in business or industry. | |
mal/e | bad, ill, wrong | malcontent - wrong content; malaria - "bad air", infectious disease thought to originate from the "bad air" of the swamps, but caused by the bite of an infected mosquito; malicious - showing strong ill will. | |
man/i/u | hand | maneuver - to move by hand; manual - done with the hands; manuscript - a book written by hand. | |
mand | to order | command - an order or instruction; demand - a hard-to-ignore order; mandate - an official order. | |
mania | madness, insanity, excessive desire | bibliomania - a crazy love of books; egomania - a mad love of oneself; maniac an insane person. | |
mar/i | sea | marina - a harbor for pleasure boats; maritime - relating to the sea; submarine - an undersea boat; aquamarine - color of sea water. | |
mater, matr/i | mother | maternal - relating to motherhood; maternity - the state of being a mother; matriarch - a woman head of a household. | |
max | greatest | maximal - the best or greatest possible; maximize - to make as great as possible; maximum - the greatest amount. | |
medi | middle | medieval - pertaining to the Middle Ages; medium - in the middle; mediocre - only of medium (inferior) quality. | |
mega | great, large, million | megalopolis - an area with many nearby cities; megaphone - a device that projects a loud voice; megastructure - huge building or other structure. | |
melan/o | black | melancholy - a state of dark emotions; melanoma - malignant dark tumor of the skin; melodrama - a dark, pathetic drama. | |
memor/i | remember | commemorate - to honor the memory of, as by a ceremony; memorial - related to remembering a person or event; memory: an ability to retain knowledge or an individual's stock of retained knowledge. | |
merge, mers | dip, dive | immerge or immerse - to put or dip something into a liquid; submerge to dip something completely into wate.r | |
meso | middle | Mesoamerica - Middle America; meson - elementary particle with a mass between an electron and a proton. | |
meta | change, after, beyond, between | metaphysics - study of nature and reality; metamorphosis - a complete change of form; metastasis - the transmission of disease to other parts of the body. | |
meter, metr/y | measure | audiometer- an instrument that measures hearing acuteness; chronometer- an instrument that measures time; metric - measured. | |
micro | very small, short, minute | microbe - a very small living thing; microchip - a tiny wafer with an integrated circuit; microscope - a device to see very small things. | |
mid | middle | midriff - the area between the chest and the waist; midterm - middle of a term in school; midway - halfway between. | |
migr | move | immigrant - a person who moves to a new country to settle; migrant - person who moves from place to place; migration - the process of moving. | |
milli | onethousandth | millimeter - one thousandth of a meter; millibar - one thousandth of a bar; milliliter - one thousandth of a liter. | |
min/i | small, less | mini - something that is very small; minuscule - extremely tiny; minutiae - very small or trivial details. | |
mis/o | bad, badly, wrong, wrongly, to hate | misbehave - to behave badly; misprint - an error in printing; misnomer - an error in naming a person or thing. | |
miss, mit | send, let go | dismiss - to send someone away; missile - a weapon sent into the air; emit - to send something out; admittance - entry. | |
mob | move | immobilize - to stop from moving; mobile - able to move freely; mobility - the quality of being able to move. | |
mon/o | one, single, alone | monochromat - having one color; monologue - a speech spoken by one person; monotheism - belief in one god. | |
mot, mov | move | motion - the act of moving; motivate - to move someone to action; promote to move someone forward; removable - able to be taken or carried away. | |
morph/o | form | metamorphosis - complete change of form; endorphins - chemical in the brain able to transform pain; amorphous - without distinct shape or form. | |
mort | death | immortal - living forever, unable to die; mortal - certain to die; mortician - an undertaker. | |
multi | many, more than one or two | multicolored - having many colors; multimedia - using a range of media; multitasking - doing many things at once. | |
mut | change | immutable - not changing; mutant - an organism that has undergone change; mutate - to undergo a change. | |
my/o | muscle | myocardium - the middle muscle of the heart; myasthenia - muscle fatigue or weakness; myosin - common protein in muscle tissue. | |
narr | tell | narrate - to tell a story; narrative - a story; narrator - a person who tells a story. | |
nat | born | innate - included since birth; natal - relating to birth; natural - gotten at birth, not afterward. | |
nav | ship | circumnavigate - to sail around a place; naval - relating to a navy or warships; navigate - to sail a ship through a place. | |
necr/o | dead, death | necrophil - loving death; necrosis - the death of tissue due to disease or injury; necrology - a list of persons who have recently died. | |
neg | no | negate - to say it didn't happen; negative - meaning "no"; renege - to go back on a promise. | |
neo | new, recent | neoclassic - a revival of classic form, neocolonialism - the indirect ("new") economical and political control of a region by a more powerful foreign power; neonatal - a newborn child, especially the first few weeks. | |
nephr/o | kidney | nephritis - inflammation of the kidneys; nephrotomy - surgical incision of a kidney; nephron - a single, excretory unit in the kidney. | |
neur/o | nerve | neuralgia - pain along a nerve; neurologist - doctor specializing in the nerves; neurotic - mental disorder that usually does not include an impaired perception of reality. | |
nom/in | name | misnomer - an error in naming a person or thing; nominal - being something in name only but not in reality; nominate - to name for election or appointment, to designate. | |
non | no, not, without | nondescript - with no special characteristics; nonfiction - true, real, not made-up; nonsense - without sense. | |
not | mark | notable - marked as worthy of attention; notarize - to certify a signature on a legal document; annotate - to add remarks. | |
noun, nunc | declare | announce - to declare in public; denounce - to proclaim harsh criticism; enunciate - to speak or declare something clearly. | |
nov | new | innovate - to introduce a new way; novelty - something new; novice - a person who is new at a job; renovate - to make something like new again. | |
numer | number | enumerate - to name a number of items on a list; numerology - the study of magical uses of numbers; numerous - a large number. | |
ob, op | in the way, against | object - to be against something; obscure - hard to understand; opposition - the act of resistance or action against. | |
oct/a/o | eight | octagon - a figure with 8 sides and 8 angles; octogenarian - person in his or her 80s; octopus - sea animal with 8 arms. | |
ocu | eye | binoculars - lens device for seeing distances; monocula - relating to one eye; oculist - an eye doctor. | |
omni | all | omnipotent - with all the power; omniscient - knowing all things; omnivorous eating all foods. | |
op/t/s | eye, visual condition, sight | optic - relating to the eyes; optician - a person who fits eyeglasses; autopsy - the examination of a dead body. | |
opt | best | optimal - the best, the most desirable; optimize - to make the best of; optimum - the best something could be. | |
ortho | straight | orthodontist - a dentist that straightens teeth; orthopedic - a doctor concerned with the proper alignment of the bones; orthography - the correct way of writing. | |
osteo | bone | osteoarthritis - inflammation caused by degeneration of the joints; osteopathy - therapy that uses among others manipulation of the skeleton to restore health; osteology - the study of bones. | |
out | goes beyond, surpasses, exceeds | Outgoing - being of lively, sharing nature; outdoing - doing better than; outdoor - outside. | |
over | excessive | overconfident - more confident than is appropriate; overstock - more supplies than is desirable; overexcited - ,more excited than one should be. | |
oxy | sharp | oxymoron - combining two ideas that sharply contradict each other; oxydize - corrode a surface. | |
pale/o | ancient | paleontology - study of ancient fossils; paleography - the study of ancient forms of writing; Paleolithic - period of the Stone Age. | |
pan | all, any, everyone | panacea - a cure for all diseases or problems; panorama - an all-around view; pantheism - the worship of all gods; pandemic - affecting all. | |
para | beside, beyond, abnormal, assistant | parasite - an organism that lives on and off another living being; parallel - alongside and always an equal distance apart; paragraph - a portion of a writtenn document that presents a distinct idea. | |
para | protection from | parachute - protection from falling; parasol - an umbrella used to protect from the sun; | |
pater, patr/i | father | paternal - relating to fathers; paternity - fatherhood; patriarch - a man who rules a group. | |
path | feeling, emotion | antipathy - a feeling of great dislike; apathy - a lack of feeling or interest; empathy - ability to understand another's feelings. | |
ped/i/e | foot, feet | pedal - a lever pushed by the foot; pedestrian - one who walks; pedicure - cosmetic treatment of feet and toes. | |
pel | drive, force | compel - to force someone to act; expel - to drive someone out of a place; repel - to force back. | |
pent/a | five | pentagon - shape having 5 angles and 5 sides, pentagram - a five-pointed star formerly used as a symbolic figure in magic; pentathlon - an athletic contest that includes five events. | |
pept, peps | digestion | dyspepsia - abnormal digestion; peptic - aiding digestion; pepsin - a digestive enzyme. | |
per | through, throughout | permanent - lasting throughout all time; permeate - to spread throughout; persist - to continue for a long time; perennial - lasting through many years. | |
peri | around, enclosing | periodontal - pertaining to bone and tissue around a tooth; peripheral - lying outside of the center; perimeter - the outer boundary of an area. | |
phag/e | to eat | esophagus - muscular tube that carries food to the stomach; anthropophagy or sarcophagy - cannibalism; xylophagous - feeding on wood. | |
phil/o | love, friend | philanthropist - one who loves humanity; philology - the love of words; philosophy - the love of wisdom; bibliophil - loving books. | |
phon/o /e/y | sound | cacophony - loud, unpleasant sounds; microphone - a device that records and amplifies sound; phonetic - relating to human speech sounds. | |
phot/o | light | photogenic - caused by light; photograph - image made on light-sensitive film; photon - the smallest possible unit of light. | |
phyll/o | leaf | chlorophyll - a group of green pigments found in leaves; phyllotaxis - the arrangement of leaves on a stem; phyllite - a rock that forms sheets, similar to slate. | |
phys | nature, medicine, the body | physical - relating to the body; physician - a doctor; physique - nature and shape of one's body. | |
phyt/o/e | plant, to grow | epiphyte - a plant growing independently on the surface of another; hydrophyte - a plant that grows only in water; neophyte - a beginner, especially a person recently converted to a new belief. | |
plas/t/m | to form, development, forming cells | protoplasm - something that is the first made or formed, also the living portion of a cell; plastic - able to be formed, especially when warm; plaster - a mixture of lime, sand and water that forms a smooth solid covering for walls. | |
pneum/o | breathing, lung, air, spirit | pneumonia - inflammation of the lungs; pneumatic - using the force of air; dyspnea - difficulty breathing. | |
pod/e | foot | podiatrist - a doctor for the feet; podium - a small platform to stand on; tripod - a stand or frame with 3 legs. | |
poli | city | metropolis - a large city; police - people who work for the government to maintain order in a city; politics - actions of a government or political party. | |
poly | many, more than one | polychrome - with many colors; polyglot - a person fluent in many languages; polygon - shape with 3 or more straight sides. | |
pon | place, put | opponent - a person who places him/herself against an action, idea, etc.; postpone - to put off doing something. | |
pop | people | popular - appealing to a lot of people; population - all of the people who live in a particular area; populist - a supporter of the rights of people. | |
port | carry | export - to carry goods out of a place to another; portable - able to be carried; porter - a person who carries luggage. | |
pos | place, put | deposit - to place or drop something; expose to place out into the open for all to see; position - the place where someone is. | |
post | after, behind | posthumous - after someone's death; postpone - to delay something; postscript - an addition to an already completed document. | |
pre | earlier, before, in front of | preamble - a part in front of a formal document; prepare - to get ready in advance; prediction - a statement foretelling the future. | |
pro | before, in front of, for, forward | prognosis - a prediction of what will happen; prologue - a passage before the main part; prophet - a person who foretells the future. | |
prot/o | primitive, first, chief | prototype - the first of a kind; proton - on of the very basic parts of an atom; protocol - a first draft from which a document is prepared. | |
pseud/o | wrong,false | pseudonym - a fictitious name; pseudoscience - theories presumed without proof of a scientific nature; pseudopregnancy - a false pregnancy. | |
psych/o | mind, mental | psyche - the human spirit or soul; psychic - relating to the human mind or someone who has supernatural mental abilities; psychology - the study of the mind. | |
pugn/a, pung | to fight | pugnacious - having a quarrelsome or aggressive nature; repugnant - distasteful, offensive or revolting; pungent - piercing. | |
pul | urge | compulsion - a very strong urge; expulsion - to someone out; impulsive - having a spontaneous urge to do something. | |
purg | clean | purge - remove anything undesirable; purgatory - according to Roman Catholics a place where souls must clean themselves of sin; expurgate - remove objectionable passages from a publication. | |
put | think | computer - an electronic thinking device; dispute - to disagree with what another person thinks; input - contribution of one's thinking. | |
pyr/o | fire, heat | pyrotechnics - the art of making fireworks; pyrometer - a thermometer for measuring high temperature; pyretic - relating to or producing fever. | |
quad/r/ri | four | quadrant - open space with buildings on 4 sides; quadrennium - period of 4 years; quadruped - a 4-footed animal. | |
quart | fourth | quarter - one fourth; quart - a fourth of a gallon; quartet - a musical composition or group involving 4 voices or instruments. | |
quin/t | five, fifth | quintett - a composition for 5 voices or instruments; quintessence - pure essence, based on the ancient philosophy that there was a fifth element that was present in all things; quintuple - fivefold. | |
radic, radix | root | eradicate - pull out at the roots; radical - fundamental, looking at things from a drastic point of view; radish - an edible root of the mustard family. | |
radio | radiation, ray | radioactive - emitting radiation; radiologist - someone diagnosing or treating via radiation. | |
ram/i | branch | ramification - the resulting consequence of a decision; ramify - to spread or branch out; ramus - a branchlike part. | |
re | again, back, backward | rebound -to spring back again; rewind - to wind something backward; reaction: a response; recognize: to identify someone or something seen before. | |
reg | guide, rule | regent - a person who rules on behalf of a king or queen; regime - a government that rules; regulate - to apply a rule. | |
retro | backward, back | retroactive - relating to something in the past; retrogress - to go back to an earlier condition; retrospect - the remembering of past events. | |
rhin/o | nose | rhinoceros - a species of animals with a big horn on the snout; rhinoplasty - surgery of the nose; rhinovirus - viruses that are causing the common cold. | |
rhod/o | red | rhododendron - a flower with red/pink flowers; rhodium - an element which produces a red solution; rhodopsin - a purple pigment in the retina that is needed for vision. | |
rid | laugh | deride - to make fun of someone; ridicule - to make fun or mock; ridiculous - silly, causing laughter. | |
rrh/ea /oea/ag | flow, discharge | diarrhea - abnormally excessive bowl movement; hemorrhage - heavy blood flow; catarrh - inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially the nose and throat. | |
rub | red | ruby - deep red color and a precious stone of the same color; rubella - measles; bilirubin - reddish pigment in bile. | |
rupt | break, burst | bankrupt - unable to pay because you're "broke"; interrupt - to break into a conversation or event, to disturb; rupture - a break in something. | |
san | health | sane - mentally healthy; sanitary - relating to cleanliness and health; sanitation - maintenance of public health and cleanliness. | |
scend | climb, go | ascend - to climb upward; crescendo - a climbing up of the volume of music; descend - to go or climb down. | |
sci | know | conscience - sense of knowing right from wrong; conscious - knowing what is happening; omniscient - knowing everything. | |
scler/o | hard | arteriosclerosis - hardening of the arterial walls; multiple sclerosis - disease which causes the tissue of the brain and spinal cord to harden; sclerometer - instrument for measuring hardness. | |
scop/e/y | see, examine, observe | microscope - a device used to see tiny things; periscope - a seeing instrument on a submarine; telescope - a device used to see over a distance. | |
scrib, script | write, written | inscribe - to write letters or words on a surface; scribe - a person who writes out documents; describe - to represent with words or pictures. | |
se | apart | secede - to formally break away from; seclude - to keep away from; serum - a liquid isolated out of another. | |
sect | cut | dissect - to cut apart piece by piece; intersection - the place or point where two things cross each other; bisect - to cut into two equal parts. | |
self | of, for, or by itself | self-discipline - the ability to discipline yourself; self-respect - respect for yourself; selfish concerned only with your own interests. | |
semi | half, partial | semiannual - every half year; semicircle - half a circle; semiconscious - partly conscious; semiannual - every half of a year. | |
sept/i | seven | September - this used to be the seventh month in the Roman calendar; septet - a group of seven musicians; septuagenarian - a person in his/her seventies. | |
serv | save, keep | conserve - to save or keep something safe; preserve - to save something; reservation - a place kept for a person. | |
sex | six | sextet or sextette - a composition or group of six, sextuple - sixfold; sexagenarian - person in his/her sixties. | |
sol | alone | desolate - lonely, dismal, gloomy; solitary - done alone, by yourself; solo - a performance done by one person alone. | |
sol | sun | solar - involving the sun; parasol - umbrella protecting from the sun; solarium - a room where one is exposed to sun light. | |
somn/I | sleep | insomnia - inability to fall asleep; somniloquy - talking in your sleep; somnolent - feeling sleepy. | |
son | sound | consonant - a speech sound; sonorous - producing loud, full, rich sounds; supersonic - faster than sound; unison - as one voice. | |
soph | wise | philosopher - a wise person; sophisticated - wise about the ways of the world; sophism - a clever but misleading argument. | |
spec/t, spic | see, look | circumspect - cautious, looking all around; retrospective - a looking back at past things; spectator - a person who sees an event. | |
sphere | ball | biosphere - the whole round surface of the earth; hemisphere - half the earth spherically shaped like a ball. | |
spir | breathe | inspire - to stimulate or animate; transpire - to give of vapor with waste product through the skin or a membrane; spirit - invisible life force. | |
sta | stand | stable - standing steady and firm; stagnant - standing still, not moving; stationary - at a standstill, fixed. | |
stell | star | constellation - a group of stars that forms a pattern; interstellar - between the stars; stellar - relating to stars. | |
struct | build | construct - to build; destruction - the act of destroying something that was built; structure - something built; infrastructure - underlying framework of a system. | |
sub | under, lower than, inferior to | submarine - an underwater boat; submerge - to put underwater; substandard - inferior to accepted standards. | |
sum | highest | sum - the combined total of everything; summation - the total, highest amount; summit the highest point or top. | |
super | higher in quality or quantity | Super bowl - the final annual football game; superior - above average, better in quality; supersonic - faster than the speed of sound. | |
sy/m /n/l/s | together, with, same | symmetry -similarity in size, form or arrangement; synergy - the combined effect; synchronize - to cause to occur at the same time. | |
tact, tang | touch | contact - a state in which two things touch; tactile - relating to the sense of touch; tangible - able to be touched; intact - with nothing missing. | |
tax/o | arrangement | syntax - the systematic arrangement of words; taxonomy - the science of classification; ataxia - loss of the ability to coordinate muscle action. | |
techno | technique, skill | technology - the practical application of knowledge; technocracy - rule of technology; technologically - characterized by technology. | |
tel/e/o | far, distant, complete | telephone - a device to talk to a distant person; telescope - a device to view distant objects; television - a device to receive pictures from afar; telecommuting - working remotely, bridging the distance via virtual devices. | |
temp/or | time | contemporary - existing at the same time; temporal - relating to time; temporary - lasting for a limited time. | |
term/ina | end, limit | determine - to find something out at the end of an investigation; terminate - to end; exterminate - to destroy or get rid of completely. | |
terr/a/i | land, earth | extraterrestrial - existing outside the earth; terrain - ground or land; territory - an area of land. | |
tetra | four | tetrapod - having 4 legs; tetrarchy - government by 4 rulers; tetrose - a monosaccharide with four carbon atoms. | |
the/o | god | monotheism - belief in one god; polytheism - worshiping more than one god; theology - the study of religion, god, etc. | |
therm/o | heat | thermal - relating to heat; thermos - an insulated jar that keeps heat in; thermostat - a device that controls heat. | |
tort | twist | contortion - a twisted shape or position; distort - to alter the shape or condition of; retort - reply in a manner that is supposed to change the effect of something previously said. | |
tox | poison | detoxification - the process of removing poisons; toxic - poisonous; toxicology - the study of poisons; intoxicated - influenced by drugs. | |
tract | pull, drag | attract - to pull objects nearer; distract - to drag attention away from something; tractor - a motor vehicle that pulls things. | |
trans | across,beyond, through | transcontinental - across the continent; transfer - to move from one place to another; transport - to carry something across a space. | |
tri | three, once in every three, third | triangle - a figure with 3 sides and 3 angles; triathlon - an athletic contest with 3 events; tricycle - a 3-wheeI vehicle with pedals. | |
ultra | beyond, extreme, more than | ultrahigh - extremely high; ultramodern - more modern than anything else; ultrasonic - sound waves beyond human hearing. | |
un | not,opposite of, lacking | unabridged - not shortened; unfair - opposite of fair; unfriendly - lacking friendliness. | |
uni | one, single | unicycle - a vehicle with one wheel; unilateral - decided by only one person or nation; unique - the only one of its kind; unison - as one voice. | |
urb | city | suburb - residential area on the edge of a city; urban - relating to a city; urbanology - the study of city life. | |
vac | empty | evacuate - to empty a dangerous place; vacant - empty, not occupied; vacation - a time without work. | |
ven/t | come | circumvent - to go around or bypass restrictions; convention - a gathering or assembly of people with a common interest; intervene - to come between. | |
ver/I | truth | veracious - truthful, honest; veracity - the truth; verify - to make sure that something is true. | |
verb | word | verbalize - to put into words; adverb - a word relating to a verb; proverb - a short saying that expresses a well-known truth. | |
vers, vert | turn | reverse - to turn around; introvert - being turned towards the inside; version - a variation of an original; controversy - a conversation in which positions are turned against each other. | |
vice | acting in place of, next in rank | vice-president - the person next in rank to the president | |
vid | see | evident clearly seen | |
vince, vic | conquer | convince - to win someone over; invincible - not able to be conquered; victory - the conquest of an enemy. | |
vis, vid | see | vision - the ability to see; envision - to picture in the mind; evident - clearly visible. | |
viv/i vit | live, life | revival - the act of bringing back to life; vital - pertaining to live; vivacious - high-spirited and full of life. | |
voc/i | voice, call | advocate - to speak in favor of; equivocate - to use misleading language that could be interpreted two different ways; vocalize - to produce with your voice. | |
vol/i/u | wish, will | benevolent - showing good will and kindness; volition - the act of making a choice or decision, voluntary - resulting from your own free will. | |
vor, vour | eat | carnivorous - meat-eating; voracious - desiring or eating food in great quantities; devour - to eat quickly. | |
xen/o | foreign | xenophobic - afraid of foreigners; xenogenesis - the creation of offspring that is completely different from either parent; xenophile - attracted to foreigners. | |
xer/o/I | dry | xerophyte - a plant that grows in dry climate; xerography - a dry photocopying process; xeric - requiring small amounts of moisture. | |
zo/o | animal life | zoology - study of animals; zooid - resembling an animal; zooplankton - minute floating aquatic animals. | |
zyg/o | pair | zygote - a cell formed by the union of two gametes and the organism developing from that; zygomorphic - pertaining to organisms that can be divided into symmetrical halves along one axis only. |
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