PREFIXES & ROOTSThis is not a dictionary of words that contain Latin prefixes or Latin roots, but a list of most of the common (Latin) elements used when words are formed. If you know these elements, you should be able to look through a word of Latin origin and guess at its meaning.
Use the search function Ctrl+F to look up the prefixes or roots you want.
See also suffixes and fourteen important words .
a) prefixes of direction (where)
ad- to, toward(s), against
examples: the paint will not adhere to… (=stick to)
(ac-, af-, al-) access, affix, allocatecircum-, peri- around, about
examples: circumnavigate the earth (=sail around the earth)
houses are built on the periphery of the park
the circumference of the moonin- in/into, to/toward(s)
examples: she forgot to insert the coin (= put the coin into...)
an injection
he is inclined to drink (= leans toward it, a habit)
inmate, inflame, ingrown, invent
(il-) illustrateper- through
examples: a perceptive person sees through you
the coffee began to percolate (through the filter)
we must persevere to win (go through difficulties)re- back(ward) again
examples: to retract a statement (take it back)
react, readjust, reform, regain, resume, revolvetrans- across beyond
examples: a transatlantic flight
transfer, translate, transport----------------------------------------------------------------------------
b) prefixes of close relationship
con- together, with
examples: convention
col-, com- collect, compendium
epi- on, upon
examples: epitaph (put on a tombstone)
epithet (title put upon sb)sub- under, below
examples: subagent
subcontract
subhumansur- on, upon
examples: surname (placed upon the "given" name)
surmount (on top of)
also: success, suffocate, suggest, summon, supplant, suppositionsyn- together, with
examples: synthesis (placing together)
or sym- sympathy-----------------------------------------------------------------
c) prefixes of time (when)
pre-/ante- before
examples: ahead of time to preclude sth before it happens
to premeditate a murder
to have a premonition
to find the antecedent of sth (what goes before it)
preplan, preheat, antedatepro- forward, before, for
examples: prologue, pro-Russian (=favors Russia)post- after
examples: a postdated check
postpone, postscript, post mortem
posthumous (after the death/burying of sb)-------------------------------------------------------------------
d) prefixes of separation (from)
ab- (away) from: abduct
de- (down) from: destabilize
dis- (away) from: disengage
ex-, e- (out) from: exhale; education (lead out of)
se- away, apart : separate------------------------------------------------------
e) negative prefixes (not)
a- no
examples: abandon (no control)anti-/ant- against, opposed to
examples: the antiwar movement
an antechambercounter-/contra- against, opposed to
examples: counterattackin (il-, im-, ir-) not
examples: inhuman
illiterate
illoyal
impolite
irreversiblemis- wrong(ly), incorrect(ly)
examples: misunderstandnon- not
examples: non-standardob- against, opposed to
examples: obliterate (erase, no letters)un- not
examples: unmask sb-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other common prefixes from Latin and Greek:acro- tip, end, outer
alter- other, different
ambi- double
amphi- double
apo- from
auto- self
bene- good, well
extra- outside, beyond
hetero- other, different
inter- between, among
intro-/intra within, inside
magna-/magni great
mal- bad, evil, ill
meta- beyond, besides
micro- very small
necro- dead, death
omni- all, every
para- beside, over, against, contrary to
prim- first, early
retro- back(ward)
super- beyond, excessive
tele- far away
ultra- beyond, extremely
hyper- excessive-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTION ROOTS from Latin
-cede-, -ceed-, -cess- go, move
examples: accede, access
exceed, excess,
precede
proceed
recede-clude-, -clus- shut, close
examples: exclude
include
seclude
seclusion-duce-, -ducat-, -duct- lead
examples: introduce (lead into)
education (lead out)
copper is a a ductile metal
conduct (lead together with)-fact-, -fect-, -flict- make, do
examples: factory
faction
affect, affection
fiction-fer-, -late- carry, bear, bring
examples: confer, conference (bring together)
collate (bring together, compare)-flect-, -flex- bend, turn
examples: reflect
flexible
genuflect
reflexes-fract-, -rupt- break
examples: fracture of a leg
infractions of rules,
volcanic eruptions
a rupture between father and son-fuse- pour
examples: infuse new life
he apologised profusely
interfuse (praise with criticism)
a fusion of …-graph-, -gram- write, writing
examples: seismograph
diagram
epigram-gredi-, -gress- progress
examples: aggressiveness
ingredient
digress
transgress-hale- breathe, breath
examples: exhale
inhale
halitosis (bad breath)-here- stick, cling
examples: adhere-ject- cast, hurl, throw
examples: project, projectile
deject
eject
reject-lude- (-lus-) play (i.e. run, lead, perform)
examples: delude (lead away)
elude (run away from)-mit-, -miss- send
examples: emit, emissary
mission, missionary, submission-move-, -mot-, -mobil- move
examples: motive
emotion
(m)mobilize-mute- change, transform
examples: transmute
commute
mutations
permutations
-pel-, -pulse- drive, push
examples: expel (drive out), expulsion
impulse (a push inside)-pend-, -pense- hang, weigh
examples: pending (waiting for the outcome = hanging in the balance)
expenditures (sums weighed together)
suspension bridge (hung from supports)-pone-, -pose-, -posit- place, put
examples: postpone,
components (units put together)
proponent
pose, oppose
exponent, exposition-port-, -portat- carry
examples: export (carry out/away)-serve- keep, save
examples: preserve-scribe-, script- write, writing
examples: describe
inscribe
postscript-solve-, -solut- loosen, set free, disunite
examples: solvent
absolve, absolution-spire-, spirat- breathe, breath
examples: expire
inspire-sist- stand, set
examples: resist-tain-, -tent- hold
examples: attain (achieve)
attentive (hold attention/concentration)-tort- twist
examples: distort
extort
contorsions-tract- draw, drag
examples: attract
disattraction
abstract
protract
contract-vene-, -vent- come
examples: intervene (come between)
circumvent (come around)-vert-, -vers-, -verge- turn
examples: extrovert (turned outwards)
reverse (turned around)
converge (run together, turn into)-voke-, -vocat- call
examples: revoke (call back)
evoke (call out, wake up fig.)
vocation (a calling)-volve-, -volu- roll, turn
examples: evolve
involve
revolver
revolution
October 2000
Erik Moldrup