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This list contains some of the common roots and prefixes that make up the building blocks of numerous English words. Click on the underlined word for the definition.

General Roots and Prefixes

 

Root or Prefix

Meaning

English

Science

Social Studies

Electives

  1.  

a, an

not, without

atheist

aphasia

anarchy

anonymous

  1.  

ab

away from

absent

abduction

aberrant

abstemious

  1.  

ambul

to walk

ambulatory

somnambulist

ambulance

amble

  1.  

ante

Before

antecedent

antediluvian

antebellum

antedate

  1.  

anti, ant

against, opposite

antithesis

antiseptic

antisocial

antipathy

  1.  

audi

to hear

audible

auditory

auditorium

audition

  1.  

auto

Self

autonomous

autoimmune

autocrat

autograph

  1.  

bene

good, well

benediction

beneficial

benevolent

beneficiary

  1.  

cede, ceed, cess

to go, to yield

precede

recessive

secession

exceed

  1.  

chron

Time

anachronism

chronometer

chronology

chronic

  1.  

cide, cis

to kill, to cut

excision

incisor

fratricide

genocide

  1.  

circum

Around

circumlocution

circulatory

circumnavigate

circumvent

  1.  

clud, clus claus

to close

conclude

claustrophobia

reclusive

exclusive

  1.  

con, com

with, together

contemporary

converge

convene

conjoined

  1.  

contra, counter

against, opposite

contradict

counteract

contravene

contrary

  1.  

cred

to believe

credence

credulity

credo

incredulous

  1.  

cycl

circle, wheel

bicycle

cycle

cyclical

encyclical

  1.  

de

from, down, away

devoid

derange

deploy

degenerate

  1.  

demo

People

demagogue

epidemic

democracy

 

demographics

  1.  

dia

through, across, between

dialogue

diagnosis

dialectic

dialect

  1.  

dict

Speak

dictum

diction

indict

verdict

  1.  

dis, dys

away, not, negative

dyslexia

disperse

dysfunctional

distaste

  1.  

duc, duct

to lead, pull

induce

abduct

aqueduct

deduct

  1.  

dyn, dyna

Power

dynamic

dynamometer

dynasty

dynamo

  1.  

equi

Equal

equitable

equinox

equidistant

equilibrium

  1.  

e, ex

out, away, from

enervate

emit

expulsion

exclusive

  1.  

exter, extra

outside of

extrinsic

extrapolate

extracurricular

extraneous

  1.  

flu, flux

Flow

influx

fluctuate

confluence

influence

  1.  

graph, gram

to write

telegram

graphite

polygraph

lithograph

  1.  

hyper

over, above

hyperbolic

hypertensive

hyperventilate

hyperkinetic

  1.  

in, im

Not

inviolate

innocuous

impregnable

intractable

  1.  

inter, intro

Between

interpersonal

intermittent

introvert

intercept

  1.  

intra

within, into

intrapersonal

intracranial

intravenous

intranet

  1.  

ject

to throw

interject

trajectory

projectile

dejected

  1.  

mal

bad, badly

malcontent

maleficent

malfeasance

malady

  1.  

mega

great, million

megaphone

megabyte

megalopolis

megalomaniac

  1.  

meta

beyond, change

metacognition

metamorphosis

metahistorical

metabolism

  1.  

mis

bad, badly

misnomer

misinterpret

misogynist

misanthrope

  1.  

mit, miss

to send

missive

missile

dismissive

remit

  1.  

neo

New

neophyte

neonatal

neoclassic

neologism

  1.  

omni

All

omniscient

omnivorous

omnipotent

omnipresent

  1.  

poly

Many

polytheist

polymorphous

polygamy

polygon

  1.  

retro

backwards

retrospect

retrograde

retroactive

retrogression

  1.  

sanct

Holy

sacrosanct

sanctuary

sanction

sanctimonious

  1.  

scrib, script

to write

inscription

prescribe

conscript

manuscript

  1.  

spect

to look

circumspect

spectacle

retrospect

prospect

  1.  

syn

Together

synecdoche

syndicate

synthesis

synchronous

  1.  

tract

to drag, draw

intractable

protract

retract

extract

  1.  

vert, vers

to turn

versatile

vertigo

reversion

introvert

  1.  

vita

Life

vital

vitamins

revitalize

vitality