| Root, Prefix or Suffix |
Meaning |
Examples |
| a, ac, ad, af, ag, al, an, ap, as, at |
to, toward, near, in addition to, by |
aside, accompany, adjust, aggression, allocate, annihilate, affix, associate, attend, adverb |
| a-, an- |
not, without |
apolitical, atheist, anarchy, anonymous, apathy, aphasia, anemia |
| ab, abs |
away from, off |
absolve, abrupt, absent |
| -able, -ible |
Adjective: worth, ability |
solvable, incredible |
| acer, acid, acri |
bitter, sour, sharp |
acerbic, acidity, acrid, acrimony |
| act, ag |
do, act, drive |
active, react, agent, active, agitate |
| acu |
sharp |
acute, acupuncture, accurate |
| -acy, -cy |
Noun: state or quality |
privacy, nfancy, adequacy, intimacy, supremacy |
| -ade |
act, product, sweet drink |
blockade, lemonade |
| aer, aero |
air, atmosphere, aviation |
aerial, aerosol, aerodrome |
| ag, agi, ig, act |
do, move, go |
agent, agenda, agitate, navigate, ambiguous, action |
| -age |
Noun: activity, or result of action |
courage, suffrage, shrinkage, tonnage |
| agri, agro |
pertaining to fields or soil |
agriculture, agroindustry |
| -al |
Noun: action, result of action |
referral, disavowal, disposal, festival |
| -al, -ial, -ical |
Adjective: quality, relation |
structural, territorial, categorical |
| alb, albo |
white, without pigment |
albino, albite |
| ali, allo, alter |
other |
alias, alibi, alien, alloy, alter, alter ego, altruism |
| alt |
high, deep |
altimeter, altitude |
| am, ami, amor |
love, like, liking |
amorous, amiable, amicable, enamoured |
| ambi |
both |
ambidextrous |
| ambul |
to walk |
ambulatory, amble, ambulance, somnambulist |
| -an |
Noun: person |
artisan, guardian, historian, magician |
| ana, ano |
up, back, again, anew |
anode, anagram, anagenetic |
| -ance, -ence |
Noun: action, state, quality or process |
resistance, independence, extravagance, fraudulence |
| -ancy, -ency |
Noun: state, quality or capacity |
vacancy, agency, truancy, latency |
| andr, andro |
male, characteristics of men |
androcentric, android |
| ang |
angular |
angle |
| anim |
mind, life, spirit, anger |
animal, animate, animosity |
| ann, annu, enni |
yearly |
annual, annual, annuity, anniversary, perrenial |
| -ant, -ent |
Noun: an agent, something that performs the action |
disinfectant, dependent, fragrant |
| -ant, -ent, -ient |
Adjective: kind of agent, indication |
important, dependent, convenient |
| ante |
before |
anterior, anteroom, antebellum, antedate, antecedent antediluvian |
| anthrop |
man |
anthropology, misanthrope, philanthropy |
| anti, ant |
against, opposite |
antisocial, antiseptic, antithesis, antibody, antinomies, antifreeze, antipathy |
| anti, antico |
old |
antique, antiquated, antiquity |
| apo, ap, aph |
away from, detached, formed |
apology, apocalypse, aphagia |
| aqu |
water |
aqueous |
| -ar, -ary |
Adjective: resembling, related to |
spectacular, unitary |
| arch |
chief, first, rule |
archangel, architect, archaic, monarchy, matriarchy, patriarchy, Archeozoic era |
| -ard, -art |
Noun: characterized |
braggart, drunkard, wizard |
| aster, astr |
star |
aster, asterisk, asteroid, astronomy, astronaut |
| -ate |
Noun: state, office, fuction |
candidate, electorate, delegate |
| -ate |
Verb: cause to be |
graduate, ameliorate, amputate, colligate |
| -ate |
Adjective: kind of state |
inviolate |
| -ation |
Noun: action, resulting state |
specialization, aggravation, alternation |
| auc, aug, aut |
to originate, to increase |
augment , author, augment, auction |
| aud, audi, aur, aus |
to hear, listen |
audience, audio, audible, auditorium, audiovisual, audition, auricular, ausculate |
| aug, auc |
increase |
augur, augment, auction |
| aut, auto |
self |
automobile, automatic, automotive, autograph, autonomous, autoimmune |
| bar |
weight, pressure |
barometer |
| be |
on, around, over, about, excessively, make, cause, name, affect |
berate, bedeck, bespeak, belittle, beleaguer |
| belli |
war |
rebellion, belligerent, casus belli, bellicose |
| bene |
good, well, gentle |
benefactor, beneficial, benevolent, benediction, beneficiary, benefit |
| bi, bine |
two |
biped, bifurcate, biweekly, bivalve, biannual |
| bibl, bibli, biblio |
book |
bibliophile, bibliography, Bible |
| bio, bi |
life |
biography, biology, biometricsm biome, biosphere |
| 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, intercept, forceps, except, reciprocate |
| cad, cas |
to fall |
cadaver, cadence, cascade |
| -cade |
procession |
motorcade |
| calor |
heat |
calorie, caloric, calorimeter |
| capit, capt |
head |
decapitate, capital, captain, caption |
| carn |
flesh |
carnivorous, incarnate, reincarnation, carnal |
| cat, cata, cath |
down, with |
catalogue, category, catheter |
| caus, caut |
burn, heat |
caustic, cauldron, cauterize |
| cause, cuse, cus |
cause, motive |
because, excuse, accusation |
| ceas, ced, cede, ceed, cess |
to go, to yield, move, go, surrender |
succeed, proceed, precede, recede, secession, exceed, succession |
| cent |
hundred |
centennial, century, centipede |
| centr, centri |
center |
eccentricity, centrifugal, concentric, eccentric |
| chrom |
color |
chrome, chromosome, polychrome, chromatic |
| chron |
time |
chronology, chronic, chronicle chronometer, anachronism, synchronize |
| cide, cis, cise |
to kill, to cut, cut down |
fratricide, homicide, incision, incision, circumcision, scissors |
| circum |
around |
circumnavigate, circumflex, circumstance, circumcision, circumference, circumorbital, circumlocution, circumvent, circumscribe, circulatory |
| cit |
call, start |
incite, citation, cite |
| civ |
citizen |
civic, civil, civilian, civilization |
| clam, claim |
cry out |
exclamation, clamor, proclamation, reclamation, acclaim |
| clin |
lean, bend |
decline, aclinic, inclination |
| clud, clus claus |
to close, shut |
include, exclude, clause, claustrophobia, enclose, exclusive, reclusive, conclude |
| co, cog, col, coll, con, com, cor |
with, together |
cohesiveness, cognate, collaborate, convene, commitment, compress, contemporary, converge, compact, confluence, convenient, concatenate, conjoin, combine, correct |
| cogn, gnos |
to know |
recognize, cognizant, diagnose, agnostic, incognito, prognosis |
| com, con |
fully |
complete, compel, conscious, condense, confess, confirm |
| contr, contra, counter |
against, opposite |
contradict, counteract, contravene, contrary, counterspy, contrapuntal |
| cord, cor, cardi |
heart |
cordial, concord, discord, courage, encourage |
| corp |
body |
corporation, corporal punishment, corpse, corpulent, corpus luteum |
| cort |
correct |
escort, cortage |
| cosm |
universe, world |
cosmos, microcosm, cosmopolitan, cosmonaut |
| cour, cur, curr, curs |
run, course |
occur, excursion, discourse, courier, course |
| crat, cracy |
rule |
autocrat, aristocrat, theocracy, technocracy |
| cre, cresc, cret, crease |
grow |
create, crescent, accretion, increase |
| crea |
create |
creature, recreation, creation |
| cred |
believe |
creed, credo, credence, credit, credulous, incredulous, incredible |
| cresc, cret, crease, cru |
rise, grow |
crescendo, concrete, increase, decrease, accrue |
| crit |
separate, choose |
critical, criterion, hypocrite |
| cur, curs |
run |
current, concurrent, concur, incur, recur, occur, courier, precursor, cursive |
| cura |
care |
curator, curative, manicure |
| cycl, cyclo |
wheel, circle, circular |
Cyclops, unicycle, bicycle, cyclone, cyclic |
| de- |
from, down, away, to do the opposite, reverse, against |
detach, deploy, derange, decrease, deodorize, devoid, deflate, degenerate |
| dec, deca |
ten, ten times |
decimal, decade, decalogue, decimate, decathlon |
| dec, dign |
suitable |
decent decorate dignity |
| dei, div |
God |
divinity, divine, deity, divination, deify |
| dem, demo |
people, populace, population |
democracy, demography, demagogue, epidemic |
| dent, dont |
tooth |
dental, denture, orthodontist, periodontal |
| derm |
skin, covering |
hypodermic, dermatology, epidermis, taxidermy |
| di-, dy- |
two, twice, double |
divide, diverge, diglycerides |
| dia |
through, across, between |
diameter, diagonal, dialogue dialect, dialectic, diagnosis, diachronic |
| dic, dict, dit |
say, speak |
dictation, dictionary, dictate, dictator, Dictaphone, edict, predict, verdict, contradict, benediction |
| dis, dif |
not, opposite of, reverse, separate, deprive of, away |
dismiss, differ, disallow, disperse, dissuade, divide, disconnect, disproportion, disrespect, distemper, disarray |
| dit |
give |
credit, audit |
| doc, doct |
teach, prove |
docile, doctor, doctrine, document, dogma, indoctrinate |
| domin |
master, that which is under control |
dominate, dominion, predominant, domain |
| don |
give |
donate, condone |
| dorm |
sleep |
dormant, dormitory |
| dox |
thought, opinion, praise |
orthodox, heterodox, paradox, doxology |
| -drome |
run, step |
syndrome, aerodrome, velodrome |
| duc, duct |
to lead, pull |
produce, abduct, product, transducer, viaduct, aqueduct, induct, deduct, reduce, induce |
| dura |
hard, lasting |
durable, duration, endure |
| dynam |
power |
dynamo, dynamic, dynamite, hydrodynamics |
| dys- |
bad, abnormal, difficult, impaired, unfavorable |
dysfunctional, dyslexia, dyspathy | |
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