Common Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words

Prefix

Meaning

Examples

ad-

to; at; near

adhere stick to

anti-

in opposition; against

antislavery against slavery

auto-

self; by self; of one’s self

automatic self-acting

bene-

good; well

benevolence disposed to do good

bi-

two; twice; double

bisect cut into two equal parts

circum-

around; all around

circumnavigate sail around ( the globe )

co-

cooperate perform together

com- ; con-

with; together; altogether

combine merge with

connect join together

contra-

against; contrary

contradict assert the contrary of

de-

down; from; away

descend travel down

dia-

through; between; across

diagonal across a figure

dis-

not; apart

disapprove not approve

ex-

out of; out; from

expel drive out

extra-

beyond; without

extraordinary beyond the oridnary

fer-

wild; untamed

ferocity wildness

fore-

beforehand; in front

foresee see beforehand

geo-

earth

geography the study of the earth

and its inhabitants

hemi-

half

hemisphere one-half a sphere or globe

hyper-

too much; beyond; over

hypersensitive oversensitive

hypo-

beneath; too little

hypodermic beneath the skin

inter-

between; among

interfere enter bewteen or among others

intro-

within; in; into

introduce bring or lead in

mal-, male-

bad; ill; badly

malfunction function badly

Prefix

Meaning

Examples

mis-

wrongly; badly

misinformed badly informed

mon-, mono-

single; having only one

monomania obsessed by one idea

non-

not

nonprofessional not belonging to a profession

omni-

all; everywhere

omnipotent all-powerful

per-

through; throughout; thoroughly

perforate pierce through

poly-

many

polygamy having many husbands

or wives at one time

post-

after; behind

postnatal after birth

pre-

before; prior to

preview see beforehand

pro-

before; forth; forward

produce bring forth

re-

back; again

recall call back

sal-

health

salutory healthful

semi-

half

semicircle half circle

sub-

under; beneath; inferior

subordinate inferior in rank

super-

above; greater; more than

superhuman greater than human

trans-

across: through; beyond

transport carry across

un-

not

uncommon not common

Suffix

Meaning

Examples

-able

able to; capable of being

lovable capable of being loved

-acity

character; quality

veracity the quality of truth

-ence, -ance

a state of being

abundance the state of being abundant

-ful

full of

grateful full of gratitude

-fy

to make

beautify to make beautiful

-ion, -sion, -tion

the act or condition of

reaction the act of reacting

-ism

belief in; practice of; condition of

activism the practice of being actively involved

-less

free from; without

penniless without mercy

-logy

doctrine or science; the study of

geology the study of the earth

-ness

state of being

emptiness state of being empty

-some

abounding in; full of

troublesome full of trouble

-wise

in the manner of; in the direction of

lengthwise in the direction of length

Root

Meaning

Examples

a, ab, abs

from, away

absent away, not present

acr

sharp; bitter

acrimonious bitter

ag, act

to do; to act

agent doer

retroactive having a reverse action

agog

leader

demagogue false leader

agri, agrari

fields

agrarian farmer; one who works on field

ali

another

alia another name

alt

high

altitude height

alter, altr

other; change

alternate to switch back and forth

anim

mind; soul

unanimous of one mind

ann

year

annually yearly payment

biennial every two years

anti

against

antiwar against war

arch

ruler, government

anarchy no government

aqua

water

aquatic living in water

aud

to hear

audible can be heard

belli

war

belligerent carrying on war or aggression

ben, bene

good; well

benefactor one who does good

biblio

book

bibliograph list of books

bio

life

biography story of a persons life

breve

short

brevity briefness; shortness

cap

head; to take

captain chief; headwaiter

capture seize; to take captive

cede; cess

to go; to yield

precede to go before

concession the act of yielding

cent

hundred

century one hundred years

chron; chrono

time

chronicle a register of events

arranged in order of time

chronology the time order of events

cid, cis

to kill; to cut

homicide killing of a person by another

incision a cut

circum

around

circumnavigate to sail around

civi

citizen

civil relating to citizens

clam; claim

shout

proclaim to declare loud

clos, clud

to close; to shut

enclose to close in

exclude to shut out

cogn

know

recognize to know

dic, dict

to say; to speak

diction speech

Root

Meaning

Examples

dis; di

not; away from

dislike to not like

domin

to rule

dominate to rule or have power over

due

to lead

induce to lead or bring on

dur

hard; lasting

durable able to last

ego

I; self

egocentric self-centered

ex; e; ef

from; out

exit to go out

fac; fact

do; make

factory place where things are made

fid

belief; faith

fidelity faithfulness

flect; flex

bend

reflect to bend bact

fore

in front of; previous

forecast to tell ahead of time

foreleg front leg

gani

marriage

bigamy marriage to two people at once

gen, gener

class; race; kind

general applying to a whole class or race

geo

earth

geochemistry the chemical study of the earth

graph

writing

autograph to write one’s own name

greg

flock; herd; group

gregarious grouping together

in; il; ig; im; ir

not

incorrect not correct

ignorant not knowing

illogical not logical

irresponsible not responsible

jac, jact, ject

to throw

projectile something thrown forward

junct

join

juncture place where things join

labor, laborat

to work

laboratory workplace

liber

book; free

library collection of books

liberty freedom

man, mani, manu

hand

manufacture create; make by hand

mar

sea

submarine under the sea

mit, miss

to send

transmit send across

dismiss to send away

mov, mot, mob

to move

remove to move away

emotion “moving” feelings

mobile movable

nav

ship

navigate sail a ship

oper

work

operate to work

pac

peace

pacific peaceful

phil

love

philosophy love of wisdom

Root

Meaning

Examples

port, portat

carry

portable able to be carried

put, putat

to calculate; to cut

compute to calculate

amputate to cut off

quer, quisit

to ask

query to ask a question

inquisitive questioning

quies

quiet

acquiesce to agree quietly without protest

radi

ray

irradiate to shine light on

rap, rapt

to seize

rapine the act of seizing others’

property by force

rapture the state of being seized or carried away by emotion

rid, ris

to laugh

deride to laugh at scornfully

risible capable of laughing

rog, rogate

to ask

interrogate to ask questions of

rupt

break

rupture to break

sag

wisdom

sage a wise person

sagacity wisdom

sat, satis

enough

satiate to provide with enough or more than enough

satisfy to meet the need of

schis; schiz

to cut; to split

schizophrenia a mental disorder characterized by separation of the thoughts and emotions

sci

to know

science knowledge

scop

to watch; to view

telescope an instrument for viewing things from a distance

scrib, script

to write

prescribe to write a medical prescription

transcript a written copy

sec, sect

to cut

section to cut into parts

bisect to cut in two

sed, sess, sid

to sit

sedentary doing much sitting

session a meeting

preside to sit in position of authority

sent, sens

to feel; to perceive

resent to feel annoyance

sensible perceiving through the senses

sequ, secu, secut

to follow

sequel that which follows

consecutive one following another

sol

alone

desolate lonely

solv, solut

to loosen; to solve

absolve to free ( loosen ) from guilt

solution act of solving a problem

Root

Meaning

Examples

son

sound

sonorous sounding

soph

wise; wisdom

sophisticate a wordly-wise person

spec, spect, spic

to watch; to look; to appear

spectator observer

inspect to look over

perspicacious having sharp judgement

spir, spirit

to breathe

expire to exhale; to die

sta, stab, stat

to stand

stable steady

establish to make stand; to found

stru, struct

to build

construe to explain or deduce the meaning

structure a building

suas, suad

to urge; to advise

persuasive having the power to cause something to change

dissuade to advise someone against something

sum, sumpt

to take

assume to take on

super

over; greater

superfluous overflowing

tact, tang

to touch

tactile perceptible through touch

intangible unable to be touched

tempor

time

contemporary at the same time

ten, tent, tain

to hold

tenure holding of office

retentive capable of holding

retain to hold onto

tend, tens

to stretch

extend to stretch out or draw out

tense to stretch tight

term

end

terminal last; ending

terr

land; earth

terrestrial pertaining to the earth

the, theo

god

atheist one who believes there is no God

theocracy rule by God or by persons claiming to represent Him

thermo

heat

thermal relating to heat

tract

to draw

attract to draw

tort

twist

contort to twist out of shape

trud, trus

to thrust; to push

protrude to stick out

intrusive pushing into or upon something

un, uni

one

unanimous of one opinion

uniform of one form

urb

city

suburban outside the city

ut, util

to use; useful

utility the quality of being useful

vac

empty

vacuum empty space

ven, vent

to come

intervene come between

advent an arrival

Root

Meaning

Examples

ver

true

verify to prove to be true

verb

words

verbalize using words

verbatim word for word

verd

green

verdant green

vert, vers

to turn

avert to turn away

vi, via

way

deviate to turn from the prescribed way

via by way of

vid, visa

to see

evident easily seen

invisible unable to be seen

vinc, vict

to conquer; to win

invincible unconquerable

victorious winning

vit, viv

to live

vital alive

vivacious lively

voc, voke, vocat

to call

revocable capable of being called

back

invoke to call on

vocation a calling

void

empty

devoid empty of ( feeling )

volv, volut

to roll or turn around

evolve to develop by stages; to unfold

revolution movement around

vol

to fly; will

volatile vaporizing quickly

involuntary not willed