Vocabulary from Classical Roots - Book A - Lessons 01 - 08

ANTE

"before"

Antebellum

adj. Of a period before war, especially the American Civil War.

Antecedent

n. 1. A thing or event that precedes.
2. (grammar) The noun to which a pronoun refers. adj. precedeing, going bfore

Anterior

adj. Coming before in position or time.

Avant-garde

adj. Ahead of the times, especially in the arts.
n. A group that is ahead of the times.

Vanguard

n. 1. The foremost position, especially of an army or fleet.
2. Leaders of a movement, fashion, etc.

PRE

"before"

Precept

n. A command; a rule of conduct.

Predestination

n. The belief that what happens in human life has already been determined by some higher power.

Preempt

v. To take possession of something before anyone else can do so.

Premonition

n. A warning in advance.

Preposterous

adj. Absurd; contrary to nature or reason.

Pretentious

adj. Showy; pompous; claiming unjustified distinction.

PRIMUS

"first"

Premier

adj. First in time or importance.
n. A prime minister or head of state.

Primate

n. 1. An archbishop or bisop who ranks highest among others.
2. A member of the order of animals that includes monkeys, apes, and humans.

Prime

n. First in rank, excellence, quality, importance, or time.
adj. Chief; most important.
v. To prepare something for use or action

Primeval

adj. Belonging to the first ages; ancient.

Primordial

adj. Primeval; origional; fundamental.

POST

"after"

Posterior

adj. Situated behind or at the back.

Posterity

n. 1. Future generations.
2. A person's descendants.

Posthumous

adj. Occuring or continuing after death, especially a work published after the author's death or a child born after the father's death.

microbe

n. an organism invisible to the naked eye, especially one that causes disease

microcosm

n. a miniature world; something that resembles something else on a very small scale

minuscule

adj. extremely small

minutia

n. a small or trivial detail

attentuate

v. to make slender or small; to weaken, to reduce in force or value

tenuous

adj. thin in form; flimsy, having little substance or validity

satiate

v. to satisfy an appetite fully, to gratify to excess

comply

v. to do as one is asked or ordered

implement

n. a tool or utensil;
v. to carry out, to put into effect

replete

adj. well-stocked or abundantly supplied; completely filled, utterly satisfied

expletive

n. an exclamation or oath, often obscene

copious

(adj) plentiful; in large amounts

macrocosm

(n) the universe.
(n) any great whole

magnanimous

(adj) noble and generous, especially in forgiving; not petty

magnate

(n) wealthy, influential person, especially in business

magnitude

(n) greatness of importance or size
(n) the degree of brightness of a star

megalomania

(n) form of mental illness in which a person has exaggerated ideas of his or her own importance
(n) an obsessive idea to do things on a grand scale

polygamy

(n) the system of having more than one spouse a time

polygon

(n) flat shape with many straight sides

MIKROS

Small

MINUO

To Lessen

TENUO

to make thin

SATIS

enough

IMPLEO

to fill

COPIA

plenty

MAKROS

large

MAGNUS & MEGAS

great

POLY

many

inception

n. The beginning of something

incipient

adj. In its early stages; beginning

annihilate

v. To destroy completely

nihilism

n. The total rejection of religious or moral beliefs

negate

v. 1. To disprove, to nullify
2. To rule out; to cancel; to repeal

renegade

n. One who deserts a group, cause, faith, etc.; an outlaw
Like a renegade; traitorous

vacuous

adj. Empty, especially of meaning or purpose

vanity

n. 1. Conceit, especially about one's
appearance.
2. Something worthless or useless.
3. A dressing table

vaunt

v. 1. To boast; to brag about.
n. 2. A boast.

aperture

n. An opening, especially one that admits light

overt

adj. Done or shown openly

pandemonium

n. Uproar

panacea

n. A cure-all for diseases or troubles

omnipotent

adj. Having unlimited power; all powerful

omnipresent

adj. Present everywhere

omnivorous

adj. 1. Feeding on both plants and meat. 2. Devouring everything, especially intellectually

catholic

adj. 1. Universal; including most things 2. (Capitalized) Referring to the Catholic church

holocaust

n. 1. A great destruction; especially by fire 2. (Capitalized) Murder by the German Nazis of over 6 million Jews and millions of other people in WW II

totalitarian

adj. A form of government with one person or party in absolute control

cloister

1. n. A covered walk along the inside walls of a building, usually looking out onto a courtyard 2. n. A monastery or similar place of religious seclusion
v. To seclude as in a monastery or hiding place

preclude

v. To prevent; to make impossible

recluse

n. A person who avoids mixing with people; a hermit

INCIPIO

to begin

NIHIL

nothing

NEGO

to deny

VANUS/VACUUS

empty

APERIO

opening

PAN/OMNI

all

HOLOS/TOTUS

whole

CLAUDO

to close

monos

Greek, ONE

monologue

n. A LONG SPEECH made by one performer.

monarch

n. A person who RULES a KINGDOM or empire.

monogram

n. A design composed of LETTERS, usually the FIRST LETTER of a name.

monopoly

n. Exclusive CONTROL of TRADE in some item or service.

monolith

n. a LARGE block of STONE.

unus

Latin, ONE

unanimous

adj. Being in COMPLETE AGREEMENT.

unilateral

adj. ONE-SIDED, done by or affecting one person, group, or country.

duo

Latin, TWO

duplex

n. A DWELLING with 2 living UNITS.

duplicate

v. To make an IDENTICAL COPY of something.

bi

Latin, TWO

bilateral

adj. Having 2 SIDES.

bipartisan

adj. Involving 2 POLITICAL PARTIES.

bisect

v. To DIVIDE into 2 EQUAL PARTS.

TRI, TRES

three

trilogy

- a group of 3 literary or musical works that have a related theme

trisect

- to divide into 3 parts