| 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 |
| 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 result of action
| courage, suffrage, shrinkage, tonnage |
| -al
| Noun: action, result of action
| referral, disavowal, disposal, festival |
| -an
| Noun: person
| artisan, guardian, historian, magician |
| -ance, -ence
| Noun: action, state, quality or process
| resistance, independence, extravagance, fraudulence |
| -ancy, -ency
| Noun: state, quality or capacity
| vacancy, agency, truancy, latency |
| -ant, -ent
| Noun: an agent, something that performs the action
| disinfectant, dependent, fragrant |
| -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, ability
| solvable, incredible |
| -al, -ial, -ical
| Adjective: quality, relation
| structural, territorial, categorical |
| -ant, -ent, -ient
| Adjective: kind of agent, indication
| important, dependent, convenient |
| -ar, -ary
| Adjective: resembling, related to
| spectacular, unitary |
| -ate
| Adjective: kind of state
| inviolate |
| 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 |
| circum
| around
| circumnavigate, circumflex, circumstance, circumcision, circumference, circumorbital, circumlocution, circumvent, circumscribe, 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, cor
| with, together
| 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, away, to do the opposite, against
| detach, deploy, derange, decrease, deodorize, devoid, deflate, degenerate, deice |
| 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
| away, not, negative, opposite of, separate
| dismiss, differ, disallow, disperse, dissuade, divide, disconnect, dysfunction, disproportion, disrespect, distemper, 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 of being
| wisdom |
| 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, ec
| out, away, from, 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 become
| moisten |
| -er, -or
| Verb: action
| ponder, clamor |
| -ed
| Adjective: having the quality of
| terraced |
| -en
| Adjective: material
| silken |
| -er
| Adjective: comparative
| brighter |
| -est
| Adjective: superlative
| strongest |
| fa, fess
| speak
| fable, fabulous, fame, famous, confess, profess |
| fac, fact, fec, fic, fas, fea
| make do, do
| difficult, fashion, feasible, feature, factory, fact, effect |
| femto
| quadrillionth
| femtosecond |
| fer
| bear, carry
| fertile, infer, refer |
| fic, feign, fain, fit, feat
| shape, make, 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 fills
| mouthful |
| -ful
| Adjective: having, giving, marked by
| fanciful |
| -fold
| Adverb: in a manner of, marked by
| fourfold |
| -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 |
| grad, gress, gree
| to gather, to bring together
| grade, degree, progress |
| graph, gram, graf
| to write, draw
| 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, toward
| instead, import |
| 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, one that is
| pedestrian, human |
| -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, result of an activity
| flooring, swimming, building |
| -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, relation
| generic |
| -ile
| Adjective: having the qualities of
| projectile |
| -ing
| Adjective: activity
| cohering |
| -ish
| Adjective: having the character of
| newish |
| -ive, -ative, -itive
| Adjective: having the quality of
| festive, cooperative, sensitive |
| jac, ject
| to throw
| reject, eject, project, trajectory, interject, dejected, inject, ejaculate |
| judice
| judge
| |
| jug, junct, just
| to join
| junction, adjust, conjugal |
| labor
| work
| |
| lex, leag, leg
| law
| legal, college, league |
| lect, leg, lig
| choose, gather, select, read
| collect, legible, eligible |
| 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
| |
| mega
| great, million
| megaphone, megaton, megaflop, megalomaniac, megabyte, megalopolis |
| 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
| wrong, bad, badly
| misconduct, misinform, misinterpret, 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, condition, quality
| kindness |
| 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 |
| -ous, -eous, -ose, -ious
| Adjective: having the quality of, relating to
| adventurous, courageous, verbose, fractious |
| 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, pens
| to hang, weigh
| suspend, append |
| per
| through, intensive
| persecute, permit, perspire, perforate, persuade |
| peri
| around
| periscope, perimeter, perigee, periodontal |
| phan, phas, phen, fan, phant, fant
| show, make visible
| 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
| reply, implicate, ply |
| 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 |
| pre, pur
| before
| precede |
| prim, prin
| first
| |
| pro
| for, foward
| propel |
| psych
| mind
| psychology |
| pute
| think
| |
| quat, quad
| four
| quadrangle, quadruplets |
| quint, penta
| five
| 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 from
| secede |
| 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, sue
| follow
| 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, spi, spic,
| to look, see
| inspect, spectator, circumspect, retrospect, prospect, spectacle |
| sper
| hope
| |
| spir
| breath, soul
| respiration, inspire |
| stand, stant, stab, stat, stan, sti, sta, st, stead
| stand
| stature, establish, stance |
| strain, strict, string, stige
| bind, pull
| constrict, restrain, stringent, prestige |
| stru, struct, stroy, stry
| build
| destroy, misconstrue, obstruct |
| sub, suc, suf, sup, sur, sus
| under, below, from, secretly, 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
| to drag, draw , pull
| attract, tractor, traction, extract, retract, protract, detract, subtract, contract, 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, process, function
| exposure, conjecture |
| vac
| empty
| vacant, vacuum |
| 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 by, having
| hungry |