A root of any word holds the most basic meaning of the word; it is what is left after you remove the prefixes and the suffixes. In your daily life, you might come across many words with different roots, it’s important to know the meaning of these words before you can guess the meaning of the said word. In this article, we provide to you a dictionary of important roots which will help in knowing a lot of difficult roots and eventually enhance your vocabulary.
Root Words Dictionary for Important Roots
Root Words | Meaning of the roots | Related Words |
Ambi, amphi | both, on both sides, around | Ambidextrous – able to use both hands equally; Ambiguous – having more than one meaning; Ambivalence – conflicting or opposite feelings toward a person or thing |
Anthrop/o | human | Anthropology – the study of mankind; Anthropomorphism – giving human form to non-human things; Philanthropy – the love to mankind |
Auto | Self | Automatic – Working by itself Autonomous – self-governed |
Bene | good, well | Benefactor – person who gives money to a cause; Beneficial – producing a good effect; Benevolent – showing kindness or goodwill
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Bi/n | two, twice, once in every two | Binoculars – optical device with two lenses; Bilateral – of or involving two sides Biannual – happening twice a year; |
Chrono | time | Chronology – Study of events in the order of their occurrence Chronograph – Instrument that records time with high accuracy |
Cardio | heart | Cardiology – Branch of medicine dealing with the heart Cardiovascular – Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels |
Duc/t | Lead | Conduct – to lead musicians in playing music; Educate – to lead to knowledge; Deduction – a subtraction of an amount. |
Dem/o | People | Democracy – government of the people; Demographic – the study of people; Epidemic – spreading among people in a region |
Ethno | race, people | Ethnic – pertaining to a defined group of people; Ethnocentric – focusing on the ethnicity of people; Ethnology – the science of people and races. |
Ego | Self | Egoistic – self-centered; Alter ego – a higher aspect of oneself; Egomania – excessive preoccupation with oneself. |
Fore | in front of, previous, earlier | Forebear – ancestor; Forebode – to give an advance warning of something bad; Forecast – a preview of events to be. |
Fug | flee, run away, escape | Fugitive – a person who is running away; Refuge – a sheltered place to flee to; Refugee – a person seeking protection |
Gastro
| Stomach | Gastritis – Inflammation of the stomach lining Gastroenterologist – Doctor specialized in the study of stomach and intestinal disorders |
Hepa | Liver | Hepatitis – Inflammation of the liver Hepatic – Relating to the liver |
Hept | Seven | Heptagon – Figure with seven sides Heptathlon – Athletic event having seven events |
Inter | between | Interconnect – Connect with each other Interdepend – Depend on each other |
Intra, intro | within, inside | Intrastate – existing in one state; Intravenous – inside or into a vein; Introvert – shy person who keeps within him/herself. |
Ir | not | Irredeemable – not redeemable; Irreformable – not reformable; Irrational – not rational. |
Jud | law | Judgment – a decision of a court of law; Judicial – having to do with judges or courts of law; Judiciary – a system of courts of law. |
Junct | join | Conjunction – a word that joins parts of sentences; Disjunction – a disconnection; Junction – a place where two things join. |
Kilo | thousand | Kilogram – Thousand grams Kilolitre – Thousand litres |
Loqu, locu | speak | Eloquent – speaking beautifully and forcefully ; Loquacious – very talkative; Elocution – art of public speaking. |
Lumin | light | Illuminate – to fill with light; Lumen – unit measuring light. |
Macro | large, great | Macroevolution – large scale evolution; Macromolecule – a large molecule; Macroeconomics – study of the overall forces of economy. |
Magn/a/i | great, large | Magnify – make larger; Magnificent – grand; Magnate – a powerful person, especially in business or industry. |
Narr | Tell | Narrate – To tell a story Narrator – Person who tells a story. |
Nov | New | Novelty – Newness or originality Novice – Beginner |
Oct | Eight | Octagon – Figure with eight sides Octave – Stanza of eight lines |
Ocu | Eye | Ocular – Connected with the eyes Oculist – Specialist in the medical treatment of eye disorders |
Omni | All | Omnipresent – Present everywhere at the same time Omnivorous – Eating all kinds of foods |
Purg | clean | Purge – remove anything undesirable; Purgatory – place where souls must clean themselves of sin; Expurgate – remove objectionable passages from a publication. |
Put | think | Computer – an electronic thinking device; Dispute – to disagree with what another person thinks; Input – contribution of one’s thinking. |
Pyr/o | fire, heat | Pyrotechnics – the art of making fireworks; Pyrometer – a thermometer for measuring high temperature; Pyretic – relating to or producing fever. |
Quad/r/ri | four | Quadrant – open space with buildings on 4 sides; Quadrennium – period of 4 years; Quadruped – a 4-footed animal. |
Quart | fourth | Quarter – one fourth; Quart – a fourth of a gallon; Quartet – a musical composition or group involving 4 voices or instruments. |
Retro | backward, back | Retroactive – relating to something in the past; Retrogress – to go back to an earlier condition; Retrospect – the remembering of past events. |
Rid | Laugh | Deride – to make fun of someone; Ridicule – to make fun or mock; Ridiculous – silly, causing laughter. |
Struct | Build | Construct – to build; Destruction – the act of destroying something that was built; Structure – something built; Infrastructure – underlying framework of a system. |
Trans | Across | Transpacific – Across the Pacific Ocean Transnational – Across national boundaries |
Tri | Three | Triangle – Figure with three sides Triathlon – Athletic event having three events |
Uni | One | Unitarian – People who believes God is one person Unique – One of a kind |
Vince | Conquer | Invincible – One who cannot be conquered Convince – Persuade a person |
How should you learn using Root Word Dictionary?
Keep this detailed A to Z root word dictionary handy whenever you come across unknown words or roots and learn new words from this. You should also try to remember words by grouping them as per the word root.
Complete List of Articles in this Series
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : English Root Words and their Meanings
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : 30 Must Know Greek Root Words
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : Learn 30 Latin Root Words
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : Detailed List of Root Words
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : Enhance your Learning with Root Word Dictionary
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : Learn Through Root Word Examples
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : 15 Must Know Root Words in English
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : An Extensive Roots Words List
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : Learn Various Roots of Words to Improve Vocabulary
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : How to use Word Roots to Improve Vocabulary?
- CAT 2022 VARC Preparation : How to use Root Words to Improve Vocabulary?