Important SAT Roots, Prefixes, & Suffixes

A complete list of prefixes, roots, and suffixes covered in the SAT lecture notes, providing meanings and examples for each term.

a

Without. Examples: apathy, amoral, asymmetrical

ab

Away. Examples: absent, abduct, abnormal, abort

-cious, -uous

Abounding in. Examples: vivacious, volumptuous

acu

Sharp. Examples: acute, acupressure, acupuncture, acuity

agri

Farming. Examples: agriculture, agrarian

alb

White. Examples: albino, albumen, albacore

amb

Both. Examples: ambivalent, ambiguous, ambidextrous

ambul

Walk, move. Examples: amble, ambulance, ambulant

amic

Friendly. Examples: amicable, amicably, dynamic

ana

Back. Examples: anachronism, anabasis

anti (ant)

Against, opposite. Examples: antagonist, antidote, antibiotics

arche (archi)

Primitive, origin. Examples: archaic, archaeology, archive

auto

Self. Examples: autopilot, autonomous, autocratic

bel

War, fight. Examples: rebel, antebellum, bellicose

bene

Good. Examples: benefit, benign, benevolent, benefactor

bi

$2$. Examples: bicycle, biceps, biscotti, biweekly

cata

Intensive, according to. Examples: cataclysm, catastrophic, catalog

cede (cess, ced)

Go, withdraw. Examples: recede, exceed, recession

ceive

Take. Examples: receive, perceive, reconceive

cent

$100$. Examples: centennial, century, percent

cerebr

Brain. Examples: cerebral, cerebrate

cert

Sure. Examples: certain, ascertain, certify

chron

Time. Examples: chronicle, chronology, anachronism

cide

Kill. Examples: genocide, pesticide

circum

Around. Examples: circumference, circumstance

clam (claim)

Shout, speak. Examples: exclaim, clamor, proclaim

clar

Clear. Examples: clarify, clarification, declare

clud (clus)

Close. Examples: conclusion, seclude, conclude

clin (cline)

Lean. Examples: inclination, incline, recline

co

With, together, joint. Examples: coauthor, cosign, collaborate, cooperate

cog

Know. Examples: cognitive, incognito, cognition

con

Together, common. Examples: connect, convention, concur

contra

Against. Examples: contraband, contrary

corp

Body. Examples: corporation, corpse, corporal

counter

Opposing, contrary. Examples: counteract, counterintuitive, counteroffer

cracy (crat)

Rule. Examples: democracy, democrat, theocracy, bureaucracy

cred

Believe. Examples: incredible, credit, credulous, credence

crypt

Hidden, secret. Examples: cryptic, encrypt

culp

Blame, fault. Examples: culpable, exculpate, culprit

cumul

Mass, heap. Examples: accumulate, cumulative

dem

People. Examples: democracy, demographics

di

Twice, $2$. Examples: dilemma, diverse, dioxide

dia

Across, through. Examples: dialogue, diameter, diagnosis

domin

Master. Examples: dominate, predominate, domineering

don

Give. Examples: donate, pardon, donor

dorm

Sleep. Examples: dormitory, dormant, dormer

dur

Harden, long lasting. Examples: durable, duration, endure

dyn

Power, energy. Examples: dynamite, dynamic

ence (ance)

State, condition. Examples: performance, conference, insurance

esth (aesth)

Beauty, feeling. Examples: esthetician, aesthetic, kinesthesia

ethn

Nation, race. Examples: ethnicity, ethnology, ethnocentric

eu

Good, well. Examples: euphemism, euphoria

ex

Out, former. Examples: exit, ex-girlfriend, exterminate, extract

extra

Beyond. Examples: extraordinary, extraterrestrial, extravagance

fer

Carry, bring. Examples: transfer, ferry, conifer, confer

fid

Trust. Examples: confidence, fidelity

flect (flex)

Bend. Examples: reflect, flexible, inflect, deflect

fore

In front of, previous. Examples: before, therefore, forebode, forecast

fusc

Dark. Examples: obfuscation, infuscate, subfuscous, fuscous

ger

Old age. Examples: geriatrics, gerontology

grad (gress)

To step, to go. Examples: digress, gradual, graduate

gyn

Woman. Examples: gynecology, androgynous, misogyny

homo (homeo)

Same, alike. Examples: homogeneous, homonym, homeopath

hyper

Over, beyond. Examples: hyperactive, hyperventilate

hypo

Under. Examples: hypothermic, hypothesis, hypoglycemia

ian

Related to. Examples: librarian, historian, pedestrian

idio

Peculiar, distinct. Examples: idiotic, idiomatic

in/im

Not. Examples: incapable, incomplete, informal, imperfect

infra

Beneath. Examples: infrastructure, infrared

inter

Between. Examples: interview, international, interstate

ir

Not. Examples: irrational, irredeemable, irrelevant, irregular

iso

Equal. Examples: isobar, isometric

lab

Work. Examples: elaborate, laboratory, laborious, labor, collaborate

lat

Broad, wide. Examples: dilate, latitude

laud

Praise. Examples: laudably, applause, applaud

lex

Word, law. Examples: lexicology, dyslexic, alexia, lexicon

loq

Speech. Examples: loquacious, eloquent, colloquialism

luc

Light. Examples: elucidate, lucid, translucent

macro

Large, great. Examples: macroeconomics, macronutrients, macroevolution

mal

Bad, evil. Examples: malignant, maltreat, malfeasance, malicious

medi

Middle. Examples: mediocre, medium, medieval

melan

Black, dark. Examples: melancholy, melanoma, melodrama

meta

Change, beyond, after. Examples: metaphysics, metamorphosis, metastasis

micro

Small. Examples: microscope, micronutrient

migr

Move. Examples: immigrant, emigrate, migrant, migration

min

Small. Examples: minimum, miniature, miniscule, minute

mis

Wrong, bad. Examples: mistake, misinterpret, misogynist

miss (mit)

Send, cast. Examples: remit, dismiss, missle, emit

mono

$1$. Examples: monotheism, monodiglyceride

mort

Death. Examples: mortuary, immortal, mortify

nat

Born. Examples: innate, natural, natal

neg

No. Examples: negate, negative, renege

neo

New. Examples: neophyte, neonatal, neologistic, neocolonialism

nov

New. Examples: novice, renovate, novelty

null

None. Examples: nullify, nullification, nulliparity

ob (op)

In the way, against. Examples: object, objection, opposition, obscure

omni

All. Examples: omnipotent, omniscient, omnivorous

opt

Best. Examples: optimal, optimum, optimize

ous

Having. Examples: adventurous, hazardous, nauseous, joyous

oxy

Sharp. Examples: oxymoron, oxidize