ROOT MEANING AND EXAMPLE*

� ag, act do, act; as agent, counteract

agr field; as agriculture, agoraphobia

alt high; as altitude, altar

alter other; as altercation, alternative

� am friend, love; as amity, amorous

anim year; as annuity, annual

anthrop man; as philanthropy, anthropoid

aper open; as aperture, aperient

apt fit; as adapt, aptitude

aqu water; as aqueous, aquacade

arch rule, govern; as anarchy, matriarch

aster, astr star; as asteroid, disaster, astronomy

aud hear; as audible, audition

aur gold; as auriferous

� bas low; as debase, basement

bell war; as bellicose, antebellum

ben good, well; as benevolent, benefactor

bibl book; as biblical, bibliography

bio life; as biology, biopsy

brev short; as brevity, abbreviation

cad, cas, cid fall; as cadence, casualty, incident

cand white, shining; as candid, candidate

�cap, capt, cept take, hold; as capable, captive,intercept

capit head; as capital, decapitate

carn flesh; as carnal, carnivorous

� ced, cess yield, go; as cede, procession

celer swift; as celerity, accelerate

cent hundred; as century, centipede

chrom color; as chromium, chromatic

chron time; as chronology, chronic

cid, cis cut, kill; as suicide, precision

clin lean, bend; as inclination, recline

�Refer to a dictionary for word meanings you don’t know.

ROOT MEANING AND EXAMPLE

clud, clus close, shut; as conclude, recluse

cogn know; as incognito, cognizant

cord heart; as cordial, accord

corp body; as corpulent, corpse

cosm world; as cosmic, cosmopolitan

� cred believe; as incredible, credentials

� curr, curs run; as current, cursory

dec ten; as decimal, decade

dem people; as democracy, demographic

derm skin; as epidermis, dermatologist

di day; as diary, sundial

� dic, dict speak, say; as indicate, contradict

dign worthy; as dignity, indignant

domin lord, master; as dominate, indomitable

dorm sleep; as dormant, dormitory

� duc, duct lead; as induce, ductile

ego I; as egotism, egomaniac

equ equal; as equity, equanimity

� fac, fact, fect, fic make, do; as facile, factory,infection, fiction

� fer bear, carry; as fertile, confer

fid faith, trust; as confide, infidelity

fin end; as infinite, final

flect, flex bend; as reflect, flexible

form shape; as conform, reformation

� fort strong; as fortitude, fortify

frag, fract break; as fragile, fracture

fug flee; as fugitive, refugee

fus pour; as confuse, fusion

� gen kind, race, birth; as generate, generic, generation

gest carry, bring; as congestion, gestation

grad, gress step, go; as graduate, digress

VOCABULARY BUILDING THAT IS GUARANTEED TO RAISE YOUR SAT SCORE • 353

RootsA ROOT IS THE BASIC ELEMENT—FUNDAMENTAL OR ESSENTIAL PART—OF A WORD.

The roots checked are especially important.

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354 • VOCABULARY BUILDING THAT IS GUARANTEED TO RAISE YOUR SAT SCORE

ROOT MEANING AND EXAMPLE

graph write; as autograph, graphic

grat pleasing; as gratitude, congratulate

hydr water; as dehydrated, hydrant

integr entire, whole; as integrate, integral

� ject throw; as inject, projection

junct join; as conjunction, juncture

lat carry; as translation, dilate

leg, lig, lect choose, gather; as legible, eligible, collect

liber free; as liberate, libertine

� loc place; as dislocate, local

log word, study; as catalogue, psychology

loqu, locut speak, talk; as loquacious, circumlocu-tion

luc, lum light; as translucent, illuminate

magn great; as magnitude, magnificent

� man hand; as manufacture, manual

mar sea; as marine, maritime

mater mother; as maternal, matrimony

mega large; as megaton, megaphone

ment mind; as mentality, mentally

merg plunge, sink; as submerge, merger

meter measure; as chronometer, symmetry

micro small; as microscope, microfilm

migr wander; as migrate, immigration

mir look; as admire, mirror

� mit, miss send; as admit, submission

mon advise, remind; as admonish, monument

� mort death; as immortality, mortal

mot, mov move; as motor, motility, movable

� mult many; as multitude, multifarious

� mut change; as mutation, transmute, immutable

� nat born; as natal, innate

nav ship; as naval, navigate

neg deny; as negate, renege

nomen name; as nominee, nomenclature, cognomen

nov new; as novelty, novice, innovation

ocul eye; as oculist, binocular

ROOT MEANING AND EXAMPLE

oper work; as cooperation, operate

pater, patri father; as paternal, patriot

ped, pod foot; as impede, biped, tripod

ped child; as pediatrics, pedagogue

pel, puls drive; as compel, expulsion

pend, pens hang; as pendant, pension

pet seek; as impetus, petition

petr stone, rock; as petrify

phil loving; as philosophy

phob fear; as claustrophobia

phon sound; as phonic, phonetics

� plic fold, bend; as complicate, implicate

� pon, pos place, put; as component, compose

� port carry, bring; as porter, import

pot drink; as potion, potable

poten powerful; as potentate, impotent

prehend, prehens take, grasp; as apprehend, com-prehension

prot first; as protagonist, prototype

psych mind; as psychological, psychic

quer, quir, quis, ques ask, seek; as query, inquiry,inquisition, quest

reg, rig, rect rule, govern; as regent, rigid, correc-tive

rid, ris laugh; as ridiculous, risible

rupt break; as rupture, erupt, interruption

sacr holy; as sacred, sacrificial

sanct holy; as sanction, sanctify

sci, scio know; as science, conscious, omniscient

scop watch; as periscope, horoscope

� scrib, script write; as describe, prescription

sec, sect cut; as secant, bisect

sed, sid, sess sit, seat; as sedate, reside, session

sent, sens feel, think; as sentiment, sensible

� sequ, secut follow; as sequel, consecutive

serv keep; as reserve, conservation

sist place, stand; as assist, resistance

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ROOT MEANING AND EXAMPLE

solv, solu loosen; as dissolve, absolution

somn sleep; as somnambulist, insomnia

soph wisdom; as sophisticated, philosophy

� spec, spect, spic look, appear; as specimen, pros -pect, conspicuous

spir breathe; as conspire, respiration

� stat, stab stand; as status, stability

string, strict bind; as stringent, stricture

stru, struct build; as construe, destructive

sum, sumpt take; as assume, presumption

tang, ting, tact, tig touch; as tangent, contingency,contact, contiguous

teg, tect cover; as tegument, detect

tele distance; as telescope, teletype

tempor time; as temporary, extemporaneous

� ten, tain hold, reach; as tenant, tension, retain

term end; as terminal, terminate

ter, terr land, earth; as inter, terrace

therm heat; as thermometer, thermos

ROOT MEANING AND EXAMPLE

tort, tors twist; as contort, torsion

� tract draw; as attract, extract

trit rub; as trite, attrition

trud, trus thrust; as intrude, abstruse

umbra shade; as umbrella, umbrage

urb city; as suburb, urban

vac empty; as vacate, evacuation

vad, vas go; as evade, evasive

val, vail be strong; as valid, prevail

� ven, vent come; as convene, prevention

� ver true; as veracity, aver

verb word; as verbose, verbatim

� vert, vers turn; as convert, reverse

vid, vis see; as evident, visible

vinc, vict conquer; as invincible, evict

viv, vit live; as vivacity, vital

voc, vok call; as in vocation, revoke

volv, volut roll, turn; as in involve, revolution

VOCABULARY BUILDING THAT IS GUARANTEED TO RAISE YOUR SAT SCORE • 355

Prefixes

A PREFIX IS PART OF A WORD THAT MAY BE PLACED BEFORE THE BASIC ELEMENT (ROOT) OF A WORD.

The prefixes checked are especially important.

PREFIX MEANING AND EXAMPLE

� a, ab, abs from, away; as avert, abjure, absent

� ad to; as adhere. By assimilation, ad takes theforms of a, ac, af, al, an, ap, as, at; as aspire,accord, affect, allude, annex, appeal, assume, attract

ambi, amphi around, both; as ambidextrous,amphibious

� ante, anti before; as antedate, anticipate

� anti against; as antidote, antislavery

arch first, chief; as archangel, archenemy

auto self; as autobiography, automatic

ben good, well; as benediction, benefactor

� bi two; as bilateral, bisect

� circum around; as circumnavigate, circumvent

� com, con, col, cor, co together; as commit, con-cord, collect, correct, co-worker

PREFIX MEANING AND EXAMPLE

� contra, contro, counter against; as contradict,controvert, counteract

� de down, away from, about; as descend, depart,describe

demi half; as demigod, demitasse

dia across, through; as diameter, diastole

� dis, di, dif apart, not; as dissension, division, dif-fi dent

� equi equal; as equinox, equivalent

� ex, e, ef out of, from; as extract, eject, efface

extra out of, beyond; as extraordinary, extrater -restrial

� hyper too much; as hypercritical, hypersensitive

hypo too little, under; as hypochondriac, hypodermic

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356 • VOCABULARY BUILDING THAT IS GUARANTEED TO RAISE YOUR SAT SCORE

PREFIX MEANING AND EXAMPLE

� in, il, im, ir into, in, on; as invade, illustrate,immerse, irritate

� in, il, im, ir not; as indistinct, illegal, impossible,irresponsible

inter, intro between, among; as interpose, introduce

� mal, mis bad; as malevolent, mistreat

mono one, single; as monotone, monorail

neo new; as neoplasm, neophyte

� non not; as nonentity, nonconformist

� ob, of, op against; as obviate, offend, oppose

� omni all; as omniscient, omnipresent

ortho straight; as orthodox, orthopedic

pan all; as pantheism, Pan-American

� peri around; as perimeter, periscope

� poly many; as polygon, polygamy

� post after; as postpone, postmortem

PREFIX MEANING AND EXAMPLE

� pre before; as predict, precursory

� pro forward, before; as proceed, provide

� re back, again; as recur, recede

retro backward; as retrogress, retrospect

se apart, away; as seduce, sedition

semi half; as semicircle, semiconscious

� sub under; as submarine, subversive

� super above, beyond; as superpose, supernatural

syn, sym with, at the same time; as synonymous,sympathetic

� trans across; as transcontinental, transmit

ultra beyond; as ultraliberal, ultramodern

� un not; as unaware, uninformed

� uni one; as unanimous, uniform

vice instead of; as vice-chancellor, viceroy

Suffixes

A SUFFIX IS PART OF A WORD THAT MAY FOLLOW THE BASIC ELEMENT (ROOT) OF A WORD.

The suffixes checked are especially important.

SUFFIX MEANING AND EXAMPLE

� able able; as pliable, returnable

acious, cious having the quality of; as capacious,meretricious

age act, condition; as courage, foliage

al belonging to; as legal, regal

� ance, ence state of; as abundance, indulgence

� ate one who; as candidate, advocate

ary, eer, er one who, concerning; as secretary,engineer, mariner

� cy state, position of; as adequacy, presidency

dom state of; as freedom, serfdom

� ence state of; as presence, credence

er, or one who; as player, actor

� escent becoming; as adolescent, putrescent

� fy make; as beautify, sanctify

hood state of; as knighthood, childhood

ic, id of, like; as bucolic, acrid

SUFFIX MEANING AND EXAMPLE

� il, ile capable of being; as evil, servile

� ion act of; as desperation, perspiration

� ious characterized by; as spacious, illustrious

� ish like; as boyish, foolish

ism belief in or practice of; as idealism, capitalism

ist one who practices or is devoted to; as anarchist,harpist

� ive relating to; as abusive, plaintive

mony state of; as harmony, matrimony

� ness quality of; as willingness, shrewdness

or, er one who; as monitor, employer

ory a place for; as factory, depository

� ous, ose full of; as ponderous, verbose

ship state of, skill; as friendship, gamesmanship

� some characteristic of; as loathsome, fearsome

tude state of; as lassitude, rectitude

ward in the direction of; as windward, backward

� y full of; as unruly, showy

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