Root Word Definitions

Learning root words can be helpful in improving your vocabulary. When you know root words, you can recognize the root and use that knowledge to define a word you may not otherwise know. Of course, that is only a helpful technique if you know the meaning of root words. Here is a list of some common root words and their meanings.

Definitions of Root Words:

1. Alter meaning: Other
2. Ami or amic meaning: Love
3. Amphi meaning: All side or both ends
4. Ann or Enni meaning: Year
5. Anthrop meaning: Human or man
6. Aqua or Aque meaning: Water
7. Arch meaning: Ruler, Chief, or Leader
8. Arthro meaning: Joint
9. Aud meaning: Sound
10. Bell meaning: War
11. Biblio meaning: Book
12. Bio meaning: Life
13. Brev meaning: short
14. Cap meaning: To take or seize control of
15. Carn meaning: Meat
16. Ced meaning: Yield or go
17. Chrom meaning: Color
18. Chron meaning: Time
19. Cogn meaning: Know
20. Cord or Chord meaning: Cord
21. Corp meaning: Body
22. Crac or Crat meaning: Ruler or Rule
23. Cred meaning: Believe
24. Cruc meaning: Cross
25. Crusta meaning: Shell
26. Crypt meaning: Hidden
27. Culp meaning: Guilt
28. Dei meaning: god
29. Demo meaning: People
30. Dent meaning: Tooth
31. Derm meaning: Skin
32. Dic meaning: To speak or say
33. Dox meaning: Opinion or Belief
34. Duc or Duct meaning: To Lead
35. Duo meaning: Two
36. Dynam meaning: Power
37. Ego meaning: Self
38. Equ meaning: Equal or equivalent
39. Fac meaning: To make or do
40. Fil meaning: Like thread
41. Frater meaning: Brother
42. Gam meaning: Marriage
43. Geo meaning: Earth
44. Glyph meaning: Vertical groove
45. Grad or Gress meaning: Step
46. Graph meaning: Printing or Writing
47. Gym meaning: Naked
48. Gyn meaning: Woman
49. Hemo, Hem, or Hema meaning: Blood
50. Holo meaning: Entire or Whole
51. Hydr or Hydro meaning: Water
52. Iso meaning: Identical, Same, or Equal
53. Ject meaning: To throw
54. Jud meaning: To judge
55. Lect or Leg meaning: Choose or Read
56. Liter meaning: Letter
57. Loc meaning: Place
58. Log meaning: Word
59. Luc meaning: Light
60. Magn meaning: Big or Large
61. Man meaning: Hand
62. Mar meaning: Sea
63. Mater meaning: Mother
64. Mere meaning: A Segment or Part
65. Meta or Met meaning: Between or Behind
66. Meter or Metri meaning: Measure
67. Min meaning: Small
68. Miss or Mit meaning: Send
69. Mov, Mot, or Mob meaning: Move
70. Mon meaning: Warn
71. Mort or Mor meaning: Death
72. Morph meaning: Structure or Form
73. Mut meaning: Change
74. Neuro meaning: Nerve
75. Nomin or Nomen meaning: Name
76. Nov meaning: New
77. Onym or Nym meaning: Name or Word
78. Odonto meaning: Tooth
79. Ortho meaning: To correct or straighten
80. Pac meaning: Peace
81. PaterMeaning: Father
82. Path meaning: Suffering or Feeling
83. Pod or Ped meaning: Foot
84. Puls or Pel meaning: Push
85. end meaning: Weigh or Hang
86. Phono or Phon meaning: Voice or Sound
87. Plan meaning: Flat
88. Pneum meaning: Lung
89. Pod meaning: Feet
90. Port meaning: Carry
91. Pot meaning: Power
92. sych meaning: Mind, Soul, or Spirit
93. Pugna meaning: Fight
94. Quis or Quer meaning: To Ask
95. Scend or Scent meaning: To climb
96. Schiz or Schizo meaning: Split or Division
97. Sci meaning: Know
98. Sciss meaning: Cut
99. Script or Scrib meaning: Write
100. Sect or Sec meaning: Cut
101. Sess or Sed meaning: Sit
102. Sent or Sens meaning: To be aware of, to feel
103. Secu or Sequ meaning: To follow
104. Serv meaning: To protect or to serve
105. Simil meaning: The same or similar
106. Siphon meaning: Tube
107. Sol meaning: The Sun
108. Son meaning: Sound
109. Soph meaning: Knowledge or Wisdom
110. Spic or Spec meaning: To see or look
111. Spir meaning: Coil or to Breathe
112. Spons or Spond meaning: Answer for or promise
113. Spont meaning: By your own force
114. Stat meaning: Position, stay
115. Tact or Tang meaning: Touch
116. Temp meaning Time
117. Tent or Ten meaning: Hold
118. err meaning: Earth
119. Theo meaning: deity or god
120. Therm meaning: Heat
121. Trophy meaning: Food or nutrition
122. Uro meaning: Urine
123. Vac meaning: Empty
124. Vent or Ven meaning: to go or to come
125. Ver meaning: Truth
126. Vert meaning: To turn
127. Vit meaning: Life
128. Voc meaning: To call
129. Zoo meaning: Animal