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acro : high point, topmost, extreme
Ex: acronym
Def: a word formed from the first letter or first few letters of each word in a phrase or title.
The FBI is an acronym for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
acrobatacrobaticsacropolisAcropolisacrophobia
ago/actum : to do, act, drive or perform
Ex: pragmatic
Def: practical or logical.
His pragmatic decision to close the play saved everyone time and money.
actagentagileambiguousnavigatecoagulateprodigaltransactactoractive
ana : up or back again
Ex: anachronism
Def: a person or thing that is placed in a time where it does not fit.
It is an anachronism when in a movie about Egypt, the Pharaoh is seen wearing a wristwatch.
analysisanatomyanagramanaloganalogy
cede/ceed/cess : move or go
Ex: antecedent
Def: something that happened before
The car chase was an antecedent to the fiery crash at the end of the movie.
ancestorcessationintercede precederecession
cred : believe
Ex: credulous
Def: someone who is too eager to believe things, often without thinking them through.
Would he find one person so credulous as to believe him?
accreditationcredentialscredodiscreditcredit
cum, con : with, together
Ex: cumulative
Def: something that increases or gets bigger with more additions.
Her cumulative poor food choices resulted in an unhealthy weight gain in a short period of time.
accumulateacumencircumventcumulousdocumentcombatcommemoratecommunitycontentconfection
di- : to
didactic Click to edit Master text styles
dox/dog : opinion, judgment
Ex: Paradox
Def: something that seems contradictory or unbelievable, but may or may not be true
The paradox about war is that it often brings peace.
orthodoxdoxology
ducto/ductum : lead or attract
Ex: deductive
Def: related to using principles of logic to figure something out.
The answer lies in a crucial distinction between deductive and inductive reasoning.
aqueductconductdeductinductproducesurplusviaductreduceconductor
eu- : good
Ex: euphemism
Def: a polite, vague word or phrase that is used in place of word or phrase that might be considered offensive, harsh, unpleasant or inappropriate to say.
“Pushing up daisies” is a euphemism for “died.”
eulogyeuphonyeuphoriaevangelisteugenics
flu : flow
Ex: affluent
Def: someone who is wealthy with money, property or possessions.
The Smiths led an affluent life; they owned a mansion, expensive cars, and membership in an exclusive country club.
effluent (outflow of water)fluctuatefluencyinfluenceinflux
fract/frag : break, shatter
Ex: fractious
Def: someone who is bad tempered, or someone or something that is difficult to control.
The fractious group of angry protestors congregated on the steps of the senate building to begin a march downtown.
fracturefragmentfragilerefractinfraction
gen : birth
Ex: genesis
Def: the beginning
The genesis of the project began with a conversation over dinner about the best way to fix infrastructure problems in the city.
congenitalendogenouseugenicsgenerategenitalsgenreindigenousmiscegenationparthenogenesisprogenitorprogeny
grex/gregis : herd/crowd
Ex: egregious
Def: extraordinary, but in a negative way.
My little sister is an egregious liar.
gregariouscongregatecongregationsegregateaggregate
holos : whole, entire, complete
Ex: holistic
Def: relating to the idea that things should be studied as a whole and not just as a sum of their parts.
Holistic health care focuses on the health of the entire body and mind and not just parts of the body.
wholehologramcatholic (universal)holyholidayholocaust
hyper : over, above
Ex: hyperbole
Def: a description that is exaggerated for emphasis
When someone says he is as hungry as a horse, he is using hyperbole to communicate his needs.
hyperactivehypercriticalhyperextensionhyperglycemiahyperventilatehypertrophy (excessive growth of body part)
hypo : under, below
Ex: hypochondriac
Def: a person who always thinks something is wrong with him or who is abnormally worried about his health
Someone who visits the doctor for every ache and pain and is convinced each time that he has major illness.
hypodermichypothermiahypocriticalhypothesishypoallergenic
laboro : work
Ex: laborious
Def: describes something that requires a lot of work and that is often tedious or difficult
Researching and writing a term paper is sometimes a laborious task.
laborlaboratoryelaboratecollaboratelabor of lovelabor unionLabour PartyLabor Day
luc/lum/lus : light
Ex: lucid
Def: easily understood or clear thinking
The main points are lucid, straightforward, and well worth listening to.
elucidateilluminateillustriouslacklusterlumenLuciferluminescenceluminouslusterpellucid (clear)translucent
mand/mend : order
Ex: mandate
Def: a command to do something
Most teachers mandate that homework be turned in on time.
commandcommendationmandatoryrecommendation
mis/mit : send or transmit
Ex: missive
Def: a long letter, especially one written in a formal or official capacity
The woes I recounted to you in my last missive have been soothed by a letter from the Lady Marion.
emissaryintermissionintermittentremissremitemitmittimus (warrant)
miso : hate
Ex: misanthrope
Def: Someone who dislikes and distrusts people
Grumpy, old Mr. Spencer was a misanthrope who didn’t like anybody and avoided human contact whenever possible.
misogyny
monos : singular, one
Ex: monastic
Def: characteristic of monks or nuns or their way of life: ascetic, austere
They came from several countries and have taken lifelong monastic vows to keep them focused on their faith.
monarchmonkmonasterymonogrammonologuemonopolymonotone
mons/montis : mountain
Ex: monolith
Def: a large upright stone column or monument, or a large building without character, or a large, imposing corporation
mountainmountainousmountmoundinsurmountableamountpromontoryparamount
mort : death
Ex: moribund
Def: someone or something that is near death or that is lacking in life and vitality.
Recently, our economy has been moribund, with high unemployment and little job creation.
immortalmorbidmorguemortgagemorticianmortificationmortuarypost mortemrigor mortis
nov/neo : new
Ex: novitiate
Def: the period or state of being a novice (new at something); quarters assigned to religious novices.
He finished school in Dublin and then entered the novitiate of the Holy Fathers, also in Dublin.
novelnovicenoveltynouveau richenovasupernovaneonatalinnovateneophyterenovate
ob : to, toward, in front of, against
Ex: obsequious
Def: showing too much willingness to serve someone or something
Obsequious service is expected at a nice restaurant, because the diner is paying for it.
objectobnoxiousobfuscateobstinateobstreperousobdurate
ordo/ordinis : row, order
Ex: ordinal
Def: expressing order or succession, specif. of a number in a series; an order of animals or plants
All ordinal numbers carry a suffix: -nd, -rd, -st, or –th. (first = 1st)
orderorderlyordinaryordinanceextraordinarysubordinateinordinateinsubordination
orthos : straight, correct
Ex: orthodox
Def: someone or something that strictly adheres to religious beliefs or the conventional, normal way of doing things; normal accepted standards.
Traditionalists, as the name implies, tend to stick to orthodox religions.
orthographyorthodontistorthopedistorthotics
para : beside, along with
Ex: paradox
Def: something that seems contradictory or unbelievable, but may or may not be true.
It is a paradox that we must sometimes go to war in order to have peace.
parableparachuteparenthesisparagraphparallelparasolparamedicparalegal
pathos : feeling
Ex: empathy
Def: the ability to understand the thoughts, feelings, or emotions of someone else
When my best friend told me she was getting married, I became as excited as she was, and we shed tears of joy together.
patheticpathologyapathyantipathysympathytelepathy
pax/pacis : peace
Ex: pacifist
Def: one who opposes the use of force under any circumstances; refusal to participate in war or reasons of conscience.
During the 60s, Jane Fonda was a pacifist who did not think we should be in the Vietnam War.
peaceappeasepacificpaypaymenttaxpayer
pen/pend : hang, weigh
Ex: penitent
Def: feeling or showing remorse for something
Ashley was penitent after she broke her mother’s favorite vase.
pensivesuspendsuspensesuspenderssuspensionexpensiveexpendappendappendagependingpendulum
per : through, throughout
Ex: perennial
Def: a person or thing that exists or is active for a whole year or a long time; everlasting; perpetual
Some plants are perennials and bloom again every spring.
perpetualperforatedperemptorypermeatepersevereperceivepercolatepermeateperpendicularpersistperspectivepervasiveimpervious
peri : around
Ex: peripatetic
Def: not staying in one place
Her peripatetic lifestyle did not allow her to make good friends easily.
perimeterperiscopeperigeeperiodperipheralperiodicperiodontalperistalsis
phob : fear
Ex: phobia
Def: an irrational, extreme fear
A phobia or extreme fear of spiders is called arachnephobia
agoraphobiaclaustrophobiahydrophobia
plus : more, many
Ex: nonplussed
Def: a condition of perplexity in which one is unable to go, speak, or act further
The statement that he was a chi hua hua in human form left her nonplussed.
pluralpluspluralityE Pluribus Unumsurplus
pon/positum : put, place
Ex: expository
Def: something intended to explain or describe.
She explained how she conducted the experiment in an expository essay.
posepostpostagepositiondepositreposedeposeimposecomponent
pung/punc : point, dot
Ex: punctilious
Def: describes someone that is careful with all the details of behavior.
Her punctilious attention to detail always guaranteed a successful party.
compunctionpunctualpungentexpunge
rideo/risum : laugh
Ex: derision
Def: contempt or ridicule
The derision of the boy’s classmates made him cry.
ridiculousridiculerisiblederide
sacr/sanct : holy
Ex: sanctuary
Def: a place of refuge or rest, a place where you can feel at peace, or the holiest part of a temple or a church.
The sanctuary is quiet now, but soon it will be filled with devoted worshipers.
sacredsacrosanctsanctionconsecratedesecrate
sanus : health
Ex: sanguine
Def: someone or something the color of blood or a reddish color.
Her sanguine temperament was disclosed by the deep color of her cheeks.
sanesanityinsanesanitariumsanitarysanitation
sci/scitum : know
Ex: conscientious
Def: acting in a way that is very thorough and careful.
In order for his experiment to be successful, he was conscientious about measuring the right amount of liquid into the test tube.
sciencescientificconscienceprescienceconsciousomniscient
simil/simul : like
Ex: assimilate
Def: to become like others, or help another person to adapt to a new environment.
It is often difficult for people from other countries to assimilate into a new one.
facsimilesimilitudesimulatesimulative
spec/spic : to look at
Ex: perspicacious
Def: being perceptive with clear vision and good judgment.
He was a perspicacious CEO who realized early on that his company needed to move in a new direction.
inspectspectatorspectaclespectaclesperspectivespeculatespectrum
sta/sti/sist : stand firm, steady
Ex: staid
Def: describes someone who is steady, sedate and distinguished
The staid, old professor was set in his ways and would not switch to the new grading scale.
ecstasycircumstanceconsistencyobstacleresistancestaminastanchionstaticstationarystaturestatussubstitutethermostat
stru/struct : build
Ex: misconstrue
Def: to interpret something in the wrong way or to understand someone's actions or intentions differently than intended.
She misconstrued something her boyfriend said and broke up with him.
constructconstructionconstruestructure
tempus/tempor : time
Ex: contemporary
Def: existing at the same time or of the present time period.
Henry David Thoreau was a contemporary of Ralph Waldo Emerson because they lived in the same time period.
Taylor Swift is a contemporary of Justin Beiber.
temporaltemporarytemporizeextemporaneouscontemporariestempotense
theo : god
Ex: theocracy
Def: a government or country that is ruled by someone who has religious authority or divine right.
The Vatican is an example of a theocracy.
theologymonotheismpolytheismatheistPantheonenthusiasmDorothyTheodore
tor/tort : twist, turn
Ex: contortionist
Def: a person, such as a circus acrobat, who can contort his or her body into unnatural positions
To be a performer with Cirque du Soleil you must be a contortionist.
distortextortionretorttornadotorque
tract : pull
Ex: protract
Def: to extend something or drag something out.
The protracted negotiations did nothing to help labor or management solve their problems.
abstractattractivedistractionextractiontractableattractdistractextractintractable
trans : across, through
Ex: transcendent
Def: surpassing; excelling; extraordinary; beyond the limits of possible experience
There's none of the potent imagery and evocative locations that made the television show transcendent.
transporttransactiontranscripttransfertransformtransplanttransparent
uni : one
Ex: unilateral
Def: something that is done only by one person, that affects only one person, or that is decided only by one person.
The principal made a unilateral decision without the input of any of the teachers.
unitunionE pluirbus unumuniteduniverseuniversityuniversalunicornunison
vale/vali/valu : strength, worth, valor
Ex: valedictorian
Def: the person in the class with the highest grade point average.
The valedictorian is the student who will give the farewell address at graduation.
ad valoremconvalescenceequivalentevaluateevaluationinvalidvaledictoryvalidate
ver : truth
Ex: verisimilitude
Def: appearing, or having the appearance of, being real or true.
The verisimilitude of the setting and dialogue made me feel like I was in Ireland listening to my relatives.
aververaciousveracityverdictverificationadvertisesubversive
vir : strength, man, manly
Ex: virulent
Def: describes something very dangerous or harmful. It also describes being especially bitter, ardent and hostile.
The virulent bacteria was proving difficult to control or erradicate.
virilevirago (man-likewoman)triumviratevirtuevirtualvirtuoso
viv/vit : life
Ex: vivacious
Def: lively or animated.
The vivacious young people danced the night away at the new club.
vividrevivesurvivevivacityconvivialviandvictualvictim
voc/vok/vox : call, voice
Ex: vociferous
Def: constantly or noisily crying out or making a statement.
The woman was a vociferous advocate of reducing the number of vaccinations given to newborn babies.
voicevowelvocalvocationadvocateevokeunequivocalvocabulary
vol : will
Ex: volition
Def: the act of using your will to make a conscious decision
He did the right thing by turning himself into the authorities by his own volition.
volunteerinvoluntary