Root Words

alter

other

alternative (substitute)

ambi

both

ambient (existing on all sides)

ami, amic

love

amiable (friendly)

amicable (peaceable)

amphi

both ends, all sides

amphibious (combining two characteristics)

anthrop

man, human, humanity

anthropology (the science of human beings)

apert

open

aperture (an opening or open space)

aqua

water

aquatic (growing or living in or frequenting water)

aud

to hear

audio (sound)

auto

self

autobiography (the biography of a person narrated by that person)

bell

war

belligerent (waging war)

bene

good

beneficial (producing good results)

bio

life

biology (a branch of knowledge that deals with living organisms and vital processes)

ced

yield, go

cede (to yield)

cent

one hundred

centimeter (a unit of length equal to 1/100 meter)

chron

time

chronological (according to the order of time)

circum

around

circumference (the perimeter of a circle)

contra, counter

against

contradiction (act of contradicting) counterargument (an argument in opposition to another)

crac, crat

rule, ruler

democracy (form of government) autocrat (a dictator)

crypt

hidden

cryptic (seeming to have a hidden meaning)

curr, curs, cours

to run

current (running river) course (progress)

dict

to say

dictate (to say)

dyna

power

dynasty (a powerful group)

equ

equal, even

equal (identical)

fac

to make, to do

factory (a building in which goods are manufactured)

form

shape

formatting (the shape)

fort

strength

fortitude (strength)

fract

to break

fracture (break)

grad, gress

step

gradual (proceeding by steps) gressorial (adapted for walking)

gram

thing written

grammar (the study of the classes of words)

graph

writing

biography (a usually written history of a person’s life)

hetero

different

heterogenous (consisting of diverse constituents)

homo

same

homogenous (of the same kind)

hypo

below, beneath

hypothermia (condition where the body temperature of a person has dropped below normal)

iso

identical

isosceles (a triangle with two equal or same sides)

ject

throw

eject (to throw out forcefully)

logy

study of

biology (the study of living organism)

luc

light

translucent (transmitting rays of light)

mal

bad

malicious (indulging malice)

meta, met

behind, between

metacarpal (bones located behind or after the carpal)

dys

bad, hard, unlucky

dystopia (a miserable, dysfunctional state)

meter, metr

measure

metronome (measures beats per minute)

micro

small

microscopic (to small to be seen)

mis, miso

hate

misanthrope (someone who hates people)

mit

to send

transmit (to send)

mono

one

monopoly (one business controls the whole market)

morph

form, shape

morphology (the study of form and structure)

mort

death

mortuary (burial of the death)

multi

many

multidimensional (many dimensions)

phil

love

philanthropy (the desire to promote the welfare of others)

port

to carry

portable (light and small enough to be easily carried)

pseudo

false

pseudocode (false code)

psycho

soul, spirit

psychology (the study of the mind)

rupt

to break

rupture (an instance of breaking)

scope

viewing instrument

microscope (instrument used to view small things)

scrib, scribe

to write

scribble (to write something down)

sect, sec

to cut

dissect (the study of an animal’s anatomy by cutting it apart)

sequ, secu

follow

sequence (one number follows another)

soph

wisdom, knowledge

sophistication (having knowledge)

spect

to look

spectate (attend as as a viewer)

struc

to build

structure (the action of building)

tele

far off

telescope (instrument used to view objects that are far away)

terr

earth

terrestrial (relating to the earth)

therm

heat

thermal (caused by heat)

vent, vene

to come

convention (to bring together for a meeting)

vert

turn

invert (opposite direction)

voc

voice, call

vocal (anything uttered by the voice)

ac, acr

sharp, bitter

acrid (unpleasantly sharp and bitter)

act

do

action (a thing done)

amb

walk, go

amble (to walk at a slow, relaxed pace)

anim

life, spirit, breath

animal (living organism)

ann, annu

year

annual (yearly)

cap, capit

head

captain (one who commands others)

card, cord

heart

cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels)

carn

flesh

carnivore (an organism that feeds primarily on animal tissue)

cas

fall

cascade (a small waterfall)

chrom

color

monochrome (one color)

cid, cide

kill

pesticide (a substance used to kill insects)

cor

heart

cordial (warm and friendly)

corp

body

corpse (a human body)

cred

believe

credibility (the ability of being believed)

dem

people

demographic (a characteristic used to classify people)

demi

half

demilune (a crescent)

do, don

to give

donate (to give away something as a gift)

duc, duct

to guide

conduct (to guide)

fer

carry, move

transfer (to move from one place to another)

fin

end

finale (the close of something)

flect, flex

bend

flexible (capable of being bent) reflect (to throw back light)

flu, flux

flow

fluid (having particles that easily move)

frater

brother, brotherly

fraternal (relating to brothers)

hydr, hydro

water

hydrate (to cause to absorb water)

jur, jure

swear

jury (a body of people sworn to give a verdict in a legal case)

litera

letter

literature (any collection of written work)

lith

stone

monlith (a large block of stone)

logo, logos

thought, study

monologue (a long speech by one person)

mag, magn

large, powerful

magnitude (The great extent of something)

man, manu

hand

manuscript (written by hand)

mar

sea

marine (relating to the sea)

mater

mother

maternal (motherly)

ment

mind

mentally (in your mind)

mot

move

motor (one that imparts motion)