Important SAT Roots, Prefixes, & Suffixes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering essential SAT roots, prefixes, and suffixes along with their definitions and example words.

a (Prefix)

Without (e.g., apathy, amoral, asymmetrical)

ab (Prefix)

Away (e.g., absent, abduct, abnormal, abort)

-cious, -uous (Suffix)

Abounding in (full of) (e.g., vivacious, volumptuous)

acu (Root)

Sharp (e.g., acute, acupressure, acupuncture, acuity)

agri (Root)

Farming (e.g., agriculture, agrarian)

alb (Root)

White (e.g., albino, albumen, albacore)

amb (Prefix)

Both (e.g., ambivalent, ambiguous, ambidextrous)

ambul (Root)

Walk, move (e.g., amble, ambulance, ambulant)

amic (Root)

Friendly (e.g., amicable, amicably, dynamic)

ana (Prefix)

Back (e.g., anachronism, anabasis)

anti (ant) (Prefix)

Against, opposite (e.g., antagonist, antidote, antibiotics)

arche (archi) (Root)

Primitive, origin (e.g., archaic, archaeology, archive)

auto (Root)

Self (e.g., autopilot, autonomous, autocratic)

bel (Root)

War, fight (e.g., rebel, antebellum, bellicose)

bene (Root)

Good (e.g., benefit, benign, benevolent, benefactor)

bi (Prefix)

Two (e.g., bicycle, biceps, biscotti, biweekly)

cata (Root)

Intensive, according to (e.g., cataclysm, catastrophic, catalog)

cede (cess, ced) (Root)

Go, withdraw (e.g., recede, exceed, recession)

ceive (Suffix)

Take (e.g., receive, perceive, reconceive)

cent (Root)

Hundred (e.g., centennial, century, percent)

cerebr (Root)

Brain (e.g., cerebral, cerebrate)

cert (Root)

Sure (e.g., certain, ascertain, certify)

chron (Root)

Time (e.g., chronicle, chronology, anachronism)

cide (Root)

Kill (e.g., genocide, pesticide)

circum (Root)

Around (e.g., circumference, circumstance)

clam (claim) (Root)

Shout, speak (e.g., exclaim, clamor, proclaim)

clar (Root)

Clear (e.g., clarify, clarification, declare)

clud (clus) (Root)

Close (e.g., conclusion, seclude, conclude)

clin (cline) (Root)

Lean (e.g., inclination, incline, recline)

co (Prefix)

With, together, joint (e.g., coauthor, cosign, collaborate, cooperate)

cog (Root)

Know (e.g., cognitive, incognito, cognition)

con (Prefix)

Together, common (e.g., connect, convention, concur)

contra (Prefix)

Against (e.g., contraband, contrary)

corp (Root)

Body (e.g., corporation, corpse, corporal)

counter (Prefix)

Opposing, contrary (e.g., counteract, counterintuitive, counteroffer)

cracy (crat) (Suffix)

Rule (e.g., democracy, democrat, theocracy, bureaucracy)

cred (Root)

Believe (e.g., incredible, credit, credulous, credence)

crypt (Root)

Hidden, secret (e.g., cryptic, encrypt)

culp (Root)

Blame, fault (e.g., culpable, exculpate, culprit)

cumul (Root)

Mass, heap (e.g., accumulate, cumulative)

dem (Root)

People (e.g., democracy, demographics)

di (Prefix)

Twice, two (e.g., dilemma, diverse, dioxide)

dia (Prefix)

Across, through (e.g., dialogue, diameter, diagnosis)

domin (Root)

Master (e.g., dominate, predominate, dominerring)

don (Root)

Give (e.g., donate, pardon, donor)

dorm (Root)

Sleep (e.g., dormitory, dormant, dormer)

dur (Root)

Harden, long lasting (e.g., durable, duration, endure)

dyn (Root)

Power, energy (e.g., dynamite, dynamic)

ence (ance) (Suffix)

State, condition (e.g., performance, conference, insurance)

esth (aesth) (Root)

Beauty, feeling (e.g., esthetician, aesthetic, kinesthesia)

ethn (Root)

Nation, race (e.g., ethnicity, ethnology, ethnocentric)

eu (Prefix)

Good, well (e.g., euphemism, euphoria)

ex (Prefix)

Out, former (e.g., exit, ex-girlfriend, exterminate, extract)

extra (Prefix)

Beyond (e.g., extraordinary, extraterrestrial, extravagance)

fer (Suffix)

Carry, bring (e.g., transfer, ferry, conifer, confer)

fid (Root)

Trust (e.g., confidence, fidelity)

flect (flex) (Root)

Bend (e.g., reflect, flexible, inflect, deflect)

fore (Root)

In front of, previous (e.g., before, therefore, forebode, forecast)

fusc (Root)

Dark (e.g., obfuscation, infuscate, subfuscous, fuscous)

ger (Root)

Old age (e.g., geriatrics, gerontology)

grad (gress) (Root)

To step, to go (e.g., digress, gradual, graduate)

gyn (Root)

Woman (e.g., gynecology, androgynous, misogyny)

homo (homeo) (Prefix)

Same, alike (e.g., homogeneous, homonym, homeopath)

hyper (Prefix)

Over, beyond (e.g., hyperactive, hyperventilate)

hypo (Prefix)

Under (e.g., hypothermic, hypothesis, hypoglycemia)

ian (Suffix)

Related to (e.g., librarian, historian, pedestrian)

idio (Root)

Peculiar, distinct (e.g., idiotic, idiomatic)

in/im (Prefix)

Not (e.g., incapable, incomplete, informal, imperfect)

infra (Prefix)

Beneath (e.g., infrastructure, infrared)

inter (Prefix)

Between (e.g., interview, international, interstate)

ir (Prefix)

Not (e.g., irrational, irredeemable, irrelevant, irregular,)

iso (Prefix)

Equal (e.g., isobar, isometric)

lab (Root)

Work (e.g., elaborate, laboratory, laborious, labor, collaborate)

lat (Root)

Broad, wide (e.g., dilate, latitude)

laud (Root)

Praise (e.g., laudably, applause, applaud)

lex (Root)

Word, law (e.g., lexicology, dyslexic, alexia, lexicon)

loq (Root)

Speech (e.g., loquacious, eloquent, colloquialism)

luc (Root)

Light (e.g., elucidate, lucid, translucent)

macro (Prefix)

Large, great (e.g., macroeconomics, macronutrients, macroevolution)

mal (Root)

Bad, evil (e.g., malignant, maltreat, malfeasance, malicious)

medi (Root)

Middle (e.g., mediocre, medium, medieval)

melan (Root)

Black, dark (e.g., melancholy, melanoma, melodrama)

meta (Prefix)

Change, beyond, after (e.g., metaphysics, metamorphosis, metastasis)

micro (Prefix)

Small (e.g., microscope, micronutrient)

migr (Root)

Move (e.g., immigrant, emigrate, migrant, migration)

min (Prefix)

Small (e.g., minimum, miniature, miniscule, minute)

mis (Prefix)

Wrong, bad (e.g., mistake, misinterpret, misogynist)

miss (mit) (Root)

Send, cast (e.g., remit, dismiss, missle, emit)

mono (Prefix)

One (e.g., monotheism, monodiglyceride)

mort (Root)

Death (e.g., mortuary, immortal, mortify)

nat (Root)

Born (e.g., innate, natural, natal)

neg (Root)

No (e.g., negate, negative, renege)

neo (Prefix)

New (e.g., neophyte, neonatal, neologistic, neocolonialism)

nov (Root)

New (e.g., novice, renovate, novelty)

null (Root)

None (e.g., nullify, nullification, nulliparity)

ob (op) (Prefix)

In the way, against (e.g., object, objection, opposition, obscure)

omni (Prefix)

All (e.g., omnipotent, omniscient, omnivorous)

opt (Root)

Best (e.g., optimal, optimum, optimize)

ous (Suffix)

Having (e.g., adventurous, hazardous, nauseous, joyous)

oxy (Root)

Sharp (e.g., oxymoron, oxidize)