Learning root words can be helpful in improving your vocabulary. When you know root words, you can recognize the basis of any word and use that knowledge to help you 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:
- Alter meaning: Other
- Ami or amic meaning: Love
- Amphi meaning: All side or both ends
- Ann or Enni meaning: Year
- Anthrop meaning: Human or man
- Aqua or Aque meaning: Water
- Arch meaning: Ruler, Chief, or Leader
- Arthro meaning: Joint
- Aud meaning: Sound
- Bell meaning: War
- Biblio meaning: Book
- Bio meaning: Life
- Brev meaning: short
- Cap meaning: To take or seize control of
- Carn meaning: Meat
- Ced meaning: Yield or go
- Chrom meaning: Color
- Chron meaning: Time
- Cogn meaning: Know
- Cord or Chord meaning: Cord
- Corp meaning: Body
- Crac or Crat meaning: Ruler or Rule
- Cred meaning: Believe
- Cruc meaning: Cross
- Crusta meaning: Shell
- Crypt meaning: Hidden
- Culp meaning: Guilt
- Dei meaning: god
- Demo meaning: People
- Dent meaning: Tooth
- Derm meaning: Skin
- Dic meaning: To speak or say
- Dox meaning: Opinion or Belief
- Duc or Duct meaning: To Lead
- Duo meaning: Two
- Dynam meaning: Power
- Ego meaning: Self
- Equ meaning: Equal or equivalent
- Fac meaning: To make or do
- Fil meaning: Like thread
- Frater meaning: Brother
- Gam meaning: Marriage
- Geo meaning: Earth
- Glyph meaning: Vertical groove
- Grad or Gress meaning: Step
- Graph meaning: Printing or Writing
- Gym meaning: Naked
- Gyn meaning: Woman
- Hemo, Hem, or Hema meaning: Blood
- Holo meaning: Entire or Whole
- Hydr or Hydro meaning: Water
- Iso meaning: Identical, Same, or Equal
- Ject meaning: To throw
- Jud meaning: To judge
- Lect or Leg meaning: Choose or Read
- Liter meaning: Letter
- Loc meaning: Place
- Log meaning: Word
- Luc meaning: Light
- Magn meaning: Big or Large
- Man meaning: Hand
- Mar meaning: Sea
- Mater meaning: Mother
- Mere meaning: A Segment or Part
- Meta or Met meaning: Between or Behind
- Meter or Metri meaning: Measure
- Min meaning: Small
- Miss or Mit meaning: Send
- Mov, Mot, or Mob meaning: Move
- Mon meaning: Warn
- Mort or Mor meaning: Death
- Morph meaning: Structure or Form
- Mut meaning: Change
- Neuro meaning: Nerve
- Nomin or Nomen meaning: Name
- Nov meaning: New
- Onym or Nym meaning: Name or Word
- Odonto meaning: Tooth
- Ortho meaning: To correct or straighten
- Pac meaning: Peace
- PaterMeaning: Father
- Path meaning: Suffering or Feeling
- Pod or Ped meaning: Foot
- Puls or Pel meaning: Push
- end meaning: Weigh or Hang
- Phono or Phon meaning: Voice or Sound
- Plan meaning: Flat
- Pneum meaning: Lung
- Pod meaning: Feet
- Port meaning: Carry
- Pot meaning: Power
- sych meaning: Mind, Soul, or Spirit
- Pugna meaning: Fight
- Quis or Quer meaning: To Ask
- Scend or Scent meaning: To climb
- Schiz or Schizo meaning: Split or Division
- Sci meaning: Know
- Sciss meaning: Cut
- Script or Scrib meaning: Write
- Sect or Sec meaning: Cut
- Sess or Sed meaning: Sit
- Sent or Sens meaning: To be aware of, to feel
- Secu or Sequ meaning: To follow
- Serv meaning: To protect or to serve
- Simil meaning: The same or similar
- Siphon meaning: Tube
- Sol meaning: The Sun
- Son meaning: Sound
- Soph meaning: Knowledge or Wisdom
- Spic or Spec meaning: To see or look
- Spir meaning: Coil or to Breathe
- Spons or Spond meaning: Answer for or promise
- Spont meaning: By your own force
- Stat meaning: Position, stay
- Tact or Tang meaning: Touch
- Temp meaning Time
- Tent or Ten meaning: Hold
- err meaning: Earth
- Theo meaning: deity or god
- Therm meaning: Heat
- Trophy meaning: Food or nutrition
- Uro meaning: Urine
- Vac meaning: Empty
- Vent or Ven meaning: to go or to come
- Ver meaning: Truth
- Vert meaning: To turn
- Vit meaning: Life
- Voc meaning: To call
- Zoo meaning: Animal
To see examples of words created around root words read YourDictionary's article Examples of Root Words.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"Root Word Definitions." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 23 March 2019. <https://reference.yourdictionary.com/resources/root-word-definitions.html>.
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Root Word Definitions. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23rd, 2019, from https://reference.yourdictionary.com/resources/root-word-definitions.html
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By YourDictionary
Learning root words can be helpful in improving your vocabulary. When you know root words, you can recognize the basis of any word and use that knowledge to help you 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.
