Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes | The Princeton Review GRE Prep

a-, an- (ex. abyss, achromatic, anhydrous)

not, without

acro- (ex. acrobat, acrophobia)

top, height, tip

aer-, aero- (ex. aerate, aerial, aerospace)

air

agr-, agri- (ex. agrarian, agriculture)

farming

ana- (ex. analysis)

up, back, against

-andr-, andro- (ex. misandry, androgynous, android)

man, male

-anthro-, anthro- (ex. philanthropy, anthropomorphism)

human

anti- (ex. antiseptic, antisocial)

against, opposite of

apo- (ex. apology)

away, off, separate

-arch-, arch- (ex. matriarch, monarch, archbishop)

chief, most important

arch- (ex. archaeology)

primitive, ancient

aster- (ex. asterisk)

space

arthri- (ex. arthritis, arthroscope)

joint, jointed

astro- (ex. astronomer, astronaut)

star(s), outerspace

auto- (ex. autocrat, automatic)

self

bar- (ex. baric, baryon, barometer)

pressure, weight

biblio- (ex. bibliophile, bibliography)

book

bio- (ex. biology, biography)

life, living, matter

-blast-, blast- (ex. fibroblast, blastula)

cell, primitive, immature cell

cardi- (ex. cardiac, cardiologist)

heart

cata- (ex. cataclysm, catalog, catastrophe)

completely, intensive, according to

-caut-, caut- (ex. holocaust, cauterize, caustic)

to burn

-centr-, centr- (ex. egocentric, eccentric, centrifugal)

center

-cephal-, cephal- (ex. encephalitis, cephalopod, cephalic)

head

-chrom-, chrom- (ex. achromatic, chromium, chromatics)

color, pigment

-chrono-, chrono- (ex. synchronize, chronic, chronological)

time

chrys- (ex. chrysanthemum)

gold, yellow

-cosm-, cosm- (ex. microcosm, cosmonaut, cosmos)

universe

crani- (ex. cranium, cranial, craniology)

skull

crypto- (ex. cryptography, cryptic)

hidden, secret

-cycl-, cycl- (ex. bicycle, cycle, cyclone)

circle, ring

dec- (ex. decade, December)

ten

-dem-, dem- (ex. epidemic, pandemic, democracy, demographic)

people

-dendr-, dendr- (ex. philodendron, dendrochronology)

tree

-derm-, derm- (ex. pachyderm, dermatologist, dermatitis)

skin

di- (ex. dichromatic, dilemma)

two, twice

dia- (ex. diagnosis, dialog)

through, between, apart, across

dyn- (ex. dynamo, dynamite, dynamic)

power, energy, strength

dys- (ex. dypepsia, dystopia)

abnormal, bad

-ego-, ego- (ex. alter ego, egoistic, egomania)

self

endo- (ex. endotherm, endogamy)

within, inside

epi- (ex. epidemic, epilogue)

on, upon, over, among, at, after, to, outside

-erg-, erg- (ex. energy, energetics, ergonomics)

work

ethn- (ex. ethnic, ethnocentric)

race, people

eu- (ex. euphemism, euphoria)

good, well

gastr- (ex. gastric, gastritis)

stomach

gen- (ex. genealogy, generation)

birth, production

geo- (ex. geography, geology)

earth, soil, global

ger- (ex. geriatrics, gerontology)

old age

giga- (ex. gigabyte, gigawatt)

a billion

-gon- (ex. decagon, octagon)

angle

-gram-, gram- (ex. diaphram, telegram, grammar)

letter, written

-graph-, graph- (ex. autograph, seismograph, graphology)

writing, recording, written

gyn- (ex. gynecology, gynecoid)

woman, female

hect- (ex. hectoliter, hectare)

hundred

helic- (ex. helicopter, helix)

spiral, circular

helio- (ex. heliograph)

sun

hemi- (ex. hemicycle, hemisphere)

half, partial

hem- (ex. hemorrage, hemoglobin)

blood

hept- (heptagon, heptameter)

seven

hetero- (ex. heterogeneous, heteronyms)

different, other

hex- (ex. hexagon, hexapod)

six

histo- (ex. histology)

tissue

homo- (ex. homogeneous, homonym)

like, alike, same

hydr- (ex. hydrate, hydrophobia, hydraulic)

water, liquid

hygr- (ex. hygrometer)

moisture, humidity

hyper- (ex. hyperactive, hypercritical, hypertension)

too much, over, excessive

hyp- (ex. hypothermia)

under

-iatr- (ex. geriatrics, pediatrician)

medical care

icon- (ex. icon, iconoclast)

image

idio- (ex. idiomatic, idiosyncrasy)

peculiar, personal, distinct

kilo- (ex. kilobyte, kilometer, kilogram)

thousand

-kine- (ex. telekinesis)

motion

leuk- (ex. leukemia, leukocyte)

white, colorless

-lex- (ex. alexia)

word, law, reading

lex- (ex. lexicology)

word, law, reading

lip- (ex. liposuction, lipoid)

fat

-lite-, -lith- (ex. apatite, monolith)

mineral, rock, fossil

-log- (ex. monologue, analogy)

word, doctrine

log- (ex. logic)

word, doctrine

macro- (ex. macroevolution, macroeconomics)

large, great

mania-, -mania- (ex. maniac, bibliomania, egomania)

madness, insanity, excessive desire

mega- (ex. megalopolis, melanoma)

great, large, million

meso- (ex. Mesoamerica, meson)

middle

meta- (ex. metaphysics, metastasis)

change, after, beyond, between

-meter- (ex. audiometer, chronometer)

measure

micro- (ex. microbe, microscope)

very small, short, minute

mid- (ex. midriff, midterm)

middle

mis- (ex. misbehave, misprint)

bad, badly, wrong, wrongly, to hate

mon- (ex. monochromat, monologue)

one, single, alone

-morph- (ex. metamorphosis, amorphous)

form

necr- (ex. necrophile, necrosis)

death, dead

nephro- (ex. nephritis, nephrostomy)

kidney

neur- (ex. neuralgia, neurologist)

nerve

oct- (ex. octagon, octopus)

eight

-od-, od- (ex. diode, cathode, anode, odometer)

path, way

op- (ex. optic, optician)

eye, visual condition, sight

ortho- (ex. orthodontist, orthopedic)

straight

osteo- (ex. osteoarthritis, osteology)

goes beyond, surpasses

oxi-, oxy- (ex. oxymoron, oxidize)

sharp