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General Roots and Prefixes
Root
or Prefix
a, an
Meaning
not,
without
Examples
atheist,
anarchy
,
anonymous
apathy,
aphasia, anemia, atypical,
anesthesia
absent,
abduction,
aberrant,
abstemious,
abnormal,
abstract, absorb
acrobat,
acrophobia, acronym, acromegaly
admit,
addition,
advertisement,
adherent,
admonish, address, adhesive, adept,
adjust
altitude,
altimiter,
altocumulus
ambulatory,
alto,
contralto,
ab
away from
acro
ad
high, tip,
top
to, toward
alt
high
ambul
ante
to
walk
before
amble,
ambulance,
somnambulist, perambulate,
preamble
anteroom,
antebellum,
antecedent,
antediluvian
antedate
anti, ant
against, opposite
antisocial,
antiseptic,
antithesis,
antibody,
antichrist,
antinomies,
antifreeze,
antipathy,
antigen,
antibiotic,
antidote,
antifungal,
antidepressant
audi
to
hear
audience,
auditory,
audible,
auditorium,
audiovisual,
audition, audiobook
automobile,
automatic,
autograph,
autopilot,
auto
self
autonomous,
autoimmune,
autobiography
be
thoroughly
bedecked,
besmirch,
besprinkled,
begrudge,
begrime, belie, bemoan
belligerent, antebellum, bellicose,
rebel
benefactor,
beneficial,
benevolent,
bell
bene
war
good,
well
benediction,
beneficiary, benefit
bicycle,
bifocals,
biceps,
billion,
binary,
bivalve,
bimonthly,
bigamy,
bimetal,
biathlete,
bicarbonate
cede, ceed,
cess
to go, to
yield
succeed,
proceed,
precede,
recede,
bi
two
secession,
exceed, succession, excess
chron
time
chronology,
chronic,
chronicle,
chronometer, anachronism
cide, cis
to
kill, to cut
fratricide,
suicide,
incision,
excision,
circumcision,
precise, concise, precision
circum
around
circumnavigate, circumflex,
circumstance,
circumcision,
circumference,
circumorbital,
circumlocution,
circumvent,
circumscribe, circulatory
clud, clus claus
to close
include,
exclude,
clause,
claustrophobia,
enclose,
exclusive,
reclusive,
conclude,
preclude
con,
com
with,
together
convene,
converge,
compress,
compact,
contemporary
,
confluence,
concatenate,
conjoin,
combine,
convert,
compatible,
consequence
contra,
counter
against,
opposite
contradict,
counteract,
contravene,
contrapuntal,
contrary
,
counterspy,
contraband
cred
to
believe
credo,
credible,
credence,
credit,
credential,
credulity,
incredulous,
creed,
incredible
commune,
community,
communism,
communicable,
communication,
commonality,
incommunicado
bicycle,
cyclical,
cycle,
encliclical,
commun
to
share
cycl
circle, wheel
motorcycle, tricycle,
cyclone
de
from, down, away
detach,
devoid,
deploy,
derange,
deodorize,
deflate,
degenerate,
deice,
depart,
descend,
derail,
depress,
decompose, destruction
dei, div
demo
God,
god
people
divinity, divine, deity, divination,
deify
democracy,
demagogue,
demographic
epidemic,
dia
through, across, between
diameter,
diagonal,
dialogue,
dialect,
dialectic,
diagnosis,
diachronic,
diagram,
diaphragm
dict
speak
predict,
verdict,
malediction,
dictionary,
dictate, dictum,
diction, indict, contradict
dis, dys, dif
away, not, negative
dismiss,
dissuade,
differ,
disallow,
disperse,
distemper,
disconnect,
dysfunction,
disproportion,
disrespect,
distaste, disarray, dyslexia
duc, duct
to
lead, pull
produce,
abduct,
product,
transducer,
viaduct,
aqueduct,
induct,
deduct, reduce,
induce
dyn,
dyna
power
dynamic,
dynamometer,
heterodyne,
dynamite,
dynamo, dynasty
ecto
outside,
external
ectomorph,
ectoderm,
ectoplasm,
ectopic,
ectothermal
endotoxin, endoscope,
endogenous
equidistant,
equilateral,
equilibrium,
endo
equi
inside,
withing
equal
equinox, equitable, equation,
equator
e, ex
out, away, from
emit,
expulsion,
exhale,
exit,
express,
exclusive,
enervate, exceed, explosion
external,
extrinsic,
exterior,
extraordinary,
extrabiblical,
extracurricular,
extrapolate,
extraneous,
exterminator,
extract,
extradite,
extraterrestrial,
extrasensory
,
extravagant, extreme
flu, flux
flow
effluence,
influence,
effluvium,
fluctuate,
confluence,
reflux, influx
flexible,
reflection,
deflect,
circumflex,
inflection,
reflex
graph,
gram
to write
polygraph,
grammar,
biography,
graphite,
telegram,
autograph,
lithograph,
historiography,
electrocardiogram, monogram
hetero
other
graphic,
exter, extra
outside of
flect,
flex
to bend
heterodox,
heterogeneous,
heterosexual,
heterodyne
homogenized,
homosexual,
homonym,
homo
same