The 42 Most Common Greek and Latin Roots

Comprehensive list of 42 Greek and 42 Latin roots with definitions and example words as presented in the lecture notes.

anti (Greek Root)

against, opposite (e.g., antiseptic, antibiotic, anticlimax, antisocial, antibody)

astro (Greek Root)

star (e.g., astronomer, astrology, astronaut, astrophysics, asteroid)

auto (Greek Root)

self, same (e.g., autograph, automobile, autobiography, automatic, autopilot)

bio (Greek Root)

life (e.g., biology, biotic, bibliography, biomechanical, bionic, microbiology)

chron (Greek Root)

time (e.g., chronograph, chronology, chronic, synchronize, chronicle)

cosm (Greek Root)

universe, world, order (e.g., cosmos, microcosm, cosmology, macrocosm, cosmetic)

cracy (Greek Root)

type of government (e.g., democracy, theocracy, autocracy, technocracy, bureaucracy)

crat (Greek Root)

member of a type of government (e.g., democrat, theocrat, autocrat, technocrat, bureaucrat)

cycl (Greek Root)

circle, wheel (e.g., bicycle, tricycle, unicycle, cycle, cyclic)

dem (Greek Root)

people (e.g., democracy, democrat, demograph, demographer, epidemic)

geo (Greek Root)

earth (e.g., geologist, geography, geophysics, geometry, geopolitical)

gon (Greek Root)

angle (e.g., polygon, octagon, pentagon, hexagon, septagon)

graph, gram (Greek Root)

drawn, written (e.g., photograph, graphic, polygraph, telegram, hexagram)

hemi, semi (Greek Root)

half (e.g., hemisphere, semisweet, semi-annual, semiconscious)

hydro, hydra (Greek Root)

water (e.g., hydrate, hydrometer, hydraulic, hydrologist, hydrophobia)

hyper (Greek Root)

over, too much, a lot (e.g., hyperspace, hyperactive, hypercritical, hyperactivity, hypersensitive)

kilo (Greek Root)

one thousand (e.g., kilometer, kilogram, kilobyte, kiloton, kilowatt)

mania (Greek Root)

madness, insanity (e.g., pyromania, kleptomania, bibliomania, megalomania, maniac)

mech (Greek Root)

machine (e.g., mechanic, mechanistic, mechanize, biomechanical, mechanism)

mega (Greek Root)

big (e.g., megabyte, megalopolis, megahertz, megaton, megastar)

meter (Greek Root)

measure of (e.g., kilometer, hydrometer, speedometer, odometer, metric)

micro (Greek Root)

small (e.g., microphone, micrometer, microscope, microbiology, microcosm)

mis (Greek Root)

bad, badly, wrong, wrongly (e.g., mistake, misbehave, misnomer, mislead, misplace)

mon, mono (Greek Root)

one (e.g., monotonous, monotone, monarch, monotheist, monochrome)

ologist (Greek Root)

one who studies (e.g., biologist, geologist, astrologist, physiologist, hydrologist)

ology (Greek Root)

the study of (e.g., biology, geology, astrology, physiology, hydrology)

pan (Greek Root)

all, every (e.g., pantheism, panorama, pandemonium, pandemic, pantheon)

path (Greek Root)

suffering, sickness, disease (e.g., pathological, empathy, sympathy, psychopath, apathy)

penta (Greek Root)

five (e.g., pentagram, pentane, pentameter, pentagon, pentathalon)

phobia (Greek Root)

fear (e.g., hydrophobia, acrophobia, agoraphobia, ablutophobia, satanophobia)

phon, phono (Greek Root)

sound (e.g., microphone, phonograph, telephone, phonic, phoneme)

photo (Greek Root)

light (e.g., photograph, photon, photosynthesis, photoelectric, photogenic)

phys (Greek Root)

nature, body, natural science (e.g., physics, physiology, metaphysics, physical, geophysics)

pod, ped (Greek Root)

foot (e.g., pedal, bipedal, podiatrist, pedestrian, tripod)

poly (Greek Root)

many (e.g., polygraph, pentagon, polygon, polynomial, polyandrous)

psych (Greek Root)

mind (e.g., psychopath, psychology, psyche, psychic, psychiatry)

pyro (Greek Root)

fire (e.g., pyrotechnics, pyrotechnician, pyrolysis, pyromania, pyroclastic)

scope (Greek Root)

watch, see (e.g., microscope, telescope, scope, stethoscope, periscope)

tele (Greek Root)

distance (e.g., television, telephone, teleport, telekinesis, telescope)

theo (Greek Root)

god, religion (e.g., theology, theocracy, theocrat, theologian, pantheon)

therm (Greek Root)

heat (e.g., thermal, thermometer, thermonuclear, thermostat, hypothermia)

tri (Greek Root)

three (e.g., triangle, trilogy, trident, tricycle, tripod)

ann, enn (Latin Root)

year, yearly (e.g., anniversary, annual, millennium, centennial, perennial)

aqu (Latin Root)

water (e.g., aquarium, aquamarine, aqueous, aquifer, aquatic)

aud (Latin Root)

sound (e.g., audio, audible, audience, audiovisual, audition)

bene (Latin Root)

good, well (e.g., benefit, benign, beneficial, benefactor, benevolent)

bi (Latin Root)

two (e.g., bicycle, binary, bifocal, bicep, binoculars)

cent (Latin Root)

one hundred (e.g., cent, centimeter, centurion, percent, percentile)

circum (Latin Root)

around (e.g., circumference, circumnavigate, circumscribe, circumvent, circumstance)

con, co, col, com (Latin Root)

with, together, joined (e.g., connect, collide, company, cooperate, common)

contra, contro (Latin Root)

against, opposite, different (e.g., contrast, contraindicate, contradict, contrary, contrarian)

cred (Latin Root)

believe (e.g., credit, credence, credible, incredible, creed)

dict (Latin Root)

say, speak, speech (e.g., diction, contradict, predict, edict, verdict)

fract, frag (Latin Root)

break (e.g., fracture, fragment, refract, fragile, infraction)

inter (Latin Root)

among, between (e.g., interval, internet, interrupt, intercollegiate, intercept)

ject (Latin Root)

cast, throw (e.g., eject, interject, trajectory, project, deject)

lumin (Latin Root)

light, shine; source (e.g., illuminate, illumination, luminous, lumen, luminary)

magn (Latin Root)

big (e.g., magnify, magnitude, magnanimous, magnificent, magnate)

mal (Latin Root)

bad, wretched, evil (e.g., malcontent, malice, malicious, malign, malfeasance)

medi, midi (Latin Root)

middle (e.g., medium, median, medieval, mediate, mediocre)

migr (Latin Root)

wander, moving (e.g., migrant, migrate, immigrate, immigrant, emigrate)

min (Latin Root)

less, smaller (e.g., mini, minus, minuscule, minimum, minute)

miss, mit (Latin Root)

send, let go (e.g., missile, transmit, remit, omit, dismiss)

mort (Latin Root)

death (e.g., immortal, morgue, mortal, mortality, mortician)

multi (Latin Root)

many (e.g., multiply, multitude, multiple, multiplex, multiplicity)

non (Latin Root)

not (e.g., nonviolent, nonfat, nonstop, nonverbal, nonprofit)

omni (Latin Root)

all (e.g., omnipresent, omniscient, omnivore, omnipotent, omnivorous)

pre (Latin Root)

before (e.g., previous, predict, predicate, prenuptial, prescription)

quad (Latin Root)

four (e.g., quad, quadrangle, quadruple, quadrilateral, quadruped)

quer, quir, ques, quis (Latin Root)

search, seek, ask (e.g., quest, inquisition, query, question, quiz)

re- (Latin Root)

again, back, backward (e.g., redo, rewind, resubmit, rebound, react)

scrib, script (Latin Root)

write (e.g., inscribe, scripture, script, scribe, scribble, transcribe)

sent, sens (Latin Root)

feel (e.g., sense, sensitive, sensible, sentiment, consent)

spect (Latin Root)

watch, look at (e.g., spectator, spectacle, spectate, inspect, introspective)

struct (Latin Root)

build, put together, arrange (e.g., construct, structure, destruct, instruct, construction)

sub (Latin Root)

under, lower than, inferior (e.g., suburbs, subzero, subway, submarine, sublime)

tempo (Latin Root)

time (e.g., tempo, temporal, contemporary, protem, temporary)

tain (Latin Root)

hold (e.g., retain, maintain, entertain, detain, contain)

tract (Latin Root)

pull (e.g., tractor, contract, distract, subtract, attract)

trans (Latin Root)

across, beyond, through (e.g., transport, transmit, translation, transparent, translate)

uni (Latin Root)

one (e.g., unicorn, unicycle, unity, unilateral, universe)

vac (Latin Root)

empty (e.g., vacant, vacancy, vacation, vacuum, evacuate)

vid, vis (Latin Root)

see, visual (e.g., visible, video, vision, evidence, visit)

volv, volut (Latin Root)

roll, turn (e.g., convolution, revolution, revolve, revolver, devolve)