The following abbreviated list should help you arrive at the definitions of
unfamiliar words. These prefixes, suffixes, and roots apply to thousands of words.
| Prefixes |
Meaning |
Example |
| pre- |
before |
precede |
| de- |
away, from |
deter |
| inter- |
between |
interstate |
| ob- |
against |
objection |
| in- |
into |
instruct |
| mono- |
alone, one |
monolith |
| epi- |
upon |
epilogue |
| mis- |
wrong |
mistake |
| sub- |
under |
submarine |
| trans- |
across, beyond |
transcend |
| over- |
above |
overbearing |
| ad- |
to, toward |
advance |
| non- |
not |
nonentity |
| com- |
together, with |
composite |
| re- |
back, again |
regress |
| ex- |
out of |
expel |
| in- |
not |
insufficient |
| pro- |
forward |
propel |
| anti- |
against |
antidote |
| omni- |
all, everywhere |
omniscient |
| equi- |
equal, equally |
equivalent |
| homo- |
same, equal, like |
homogenized |
| semi- |
half, partly |
semicircle |
| un- |
not |
unneeded |
| bi- |
two |
bicycle |
| poly- |
many |
polymorphous |
| retro- |
backward |
retrograde |
| mal- |
bad |
malfunction |
| hyper- |
over, too much |
hyperactive |
| hypo- |
under, too little |
hypodermic |
| Suffix |
Meaning |
Example |
| -able, -ible |
able to |
usable |
| -er, -or |
one who does |
competitor |
| -ism |
the practice of |
rationalism |
| -ist |
one who is occupied with |
feminist |
| -less |
without, lacking |
meaningless |
| -ship |
the art or skill of |
statesmanship |
| -fy |
to make |
dignify |
| -ness |
the quality of |
aggressiveness |
| -tude |
the state of |
rectitude |
| -logue |
a particular kind of speaking or writing |
prologue |
| Root |
Meaning |
Example |
| arch |
to rule |
monarch |
| belli |
war, warlike |
belligerent |
| bene |
good |
benevolent |
| chron |
time |
chronology |
| dic |
to say |
indicative |
| fac |
to make, to do |
artifact |
| graph |
writing |
telegraph |
| mort |
to die |
mortal |
| port |
to carry |
deport |
| vid, vis |
to see |
invisible |