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