Latin and Greek Roots and Affix List

A comprehensive list of roots, stems, prefixes, and suffixes to help students break down
words for better understanding:

Root/Affix Definition Root/Affix Definition

Example Example

1. a-, an- not, without 103. lun/luni moon

abyss lunar
2. ad- to; toward 104. macro- large, long
advance macroscopic
3. agri/agro field 105. magni- large
agriculture magnify
4. ama/ami/amor love, friend 106. mal- bad
amorous, maladjusted
107. man/u/i hand
amiable manipulate
5. ambi- both 108. mania excessive desire
ambivalent kleptomania
6. andr/o man, male 109. mar/e sea
android maritime
7. ann/enn year 110. mater/matr mother
annual maternal
8. ante- before 111. meta- change; beyond
anteroom metamorphosis
9. anthrop/o man, human 112. meter/metr measure
anthropology thermometer
10. anti- against 113. micro- very small
anti-nuke microscope
11. aqua water 114. mid-/medi- middle; halfway
aquatic midterm
12. arch/archi rule, first, chief 115. mil(l)- thousand
archenemy millennium
13. astro/aster/astr star 116. mis- wrong
astronomy mistake
14. aud hear
auditory misnomer
15. auto- self; alone 117. mis-/miso- to hate
automatic misanthropic
16. avi bird 118. mit/miss send
aviation transmit
17. bel(l) war
bellicose missive
18. bene- good; well 119. mobile movable
benefit mobility
19. bi-/bin- two 120. mono- one
bifocal monogram
20. bibl/i/o book 121. morph/o form; shape
Bible amorphous
21. bio life 122. mort/mor death
biology immortal
22. caco- bad, ill 123. multi- many
cacophony multitude
23. capit head 124. mut change
decapitate mutation
24. capt take, hold, seize 125. nasc/nat birth; born
capture prenatal;
25. cardi/o heart
cardiogram nascent
26. carn/carni flesh, meat 126. naut sailor; seaman
carnivore nautical
27. cata- down, completely, 127. nav ship; boat
catastrophe navigation
against, intensive 128. necr/o dead, death
28. cede/ceed/cess move, yield necropolis
recede 129. neo- new
29. cent- hundred neophyte
century 130. nomen/nom name; noun
30. cephal/o head nomenclature
hydrocephalic 131. non- not
31. chrom color nonconformist
monochromatic 132. nov new
32. chron time renovate
chronological 133. nym/onym name; word
33. -cide, cis to kill; cut acronym
suicide, 134. omni- all
omnipotent
excision 135. ortho straight, correct
34. circum- around orthodontics
circumference 136. pac peace
35. clar clear pacific
clarity 137. pan- all; every
36. cogn knowledge pandemic
incognito 138. para- similar
37. con-, com-, cor- with; together paraphrase
companion 139. pater/patri father
38. contra-/counter- against paternal
counteract 140. path/o/pathy feeling; disease
39. corp/o, corpor body empathetic;
corporal 141. ped/i/-pede/pod foot
40. cosmo universe, world centipede
cosmopolitan 142. pend hang
41. -cracy/crat govern suspend
democracy 143. per- through
42. cred believe perforate
incredible 144. peri- around, surround
43. cycl/o circle, wheel periscope
bicycle 145. phag to eat
44. de- from; down; away esophagus
descend
45. dec- ten phagocyte
decade 146. phil/o/phile love; affinity for
46. dem people bibliophile
democracy 147. -phobia fear
47. derm skin agoraphobia
dermatology 148. phon/e sound
48. di- apart telephone
divorce 149. phor/e bear, produce
49. dia- through; across metaphor
diaphanous carry
50. dic/dict say, speak 150. phos/phot light
dictate phosphorescence
51. dis- not; apart
disapprove photograph
52. duc, duct lead 151. poly- many
educate polygon
53. dyn/a, dynam/o power, energy, 152. pon/pos place; put
dynamic depose
strength 153. port carry
54. dys- bad, difficult transport
dysfunctional 154. post- after
abnormal, impaired postpone
55. e-, ex- out of 155. pot/poss power
exonerate potent
56. ecto- outside 156. pre- before
ectotherm pre-war
57. ego self 157. pro- for; forth
egotistical pronoun;
58. en-, em- in
energy proceed
59. endo- inside 158. pseud/o false
endocarditis pseudopod
60. epi- outside, over 159. psych mind
epicanthus, psychology
among, after epilogue 160. pyro fire; heat; fever
61. equi- equal pyromaniac
equilateral 161. quad- four
62. erg/o work quadruplets
ergophobic 162. re- back; again
63. eu- good, well return
euphoria 163. retro- backward; behind
64. extra-, extro- outside, retroactive
extravagant 164. sci know
beyond, above prescient
65. fac(t)/fec/fic do, make 165. scop, -scope view; examine
manufacture endoscope
66. -fer/-ferous carry, produce 166. scrib/scrip write
transfer scripture
67. fid trust 167. semi- half
infidelity semicircle
68. fin end final 168. sen old
69. flu f low senile
fluctuate 169. sent/sens feel; think
70. frater brother presentiment
fraternal 170. sol sun
71. fus pour parasol
profusion 171. soph wise
72. gen/gon birth; origin genesis philosopher
73. geo earth 172. soror sister
geography sorority
74. glott tongue 173. spec/t/spic look at; examine
glottal spectator
75. gnos/gnom knowledge 174. spir/o breathe
diagnosis respiration
76. graph/gram write; record 175. sta/t/-stasis stand; firm;
autograph homeostasis
77. greg flock stable, steady
congregation 176. struct build
78. gress/grad/e to step, to go construct
transgress 177. sub- under
subway
degrade 178. super- above; over
79. gyn woman; female superintendent
gynecology 179. syn-, sym-, syl- together, same
80. heli/o sun synthesis
heliocentric 180. tele- far
81. hemi- half telescope
hemisphere 181. temp time
82. hemo/em blood temporary
hemophilia 182. ten/tin/tain hold
83. hetero different, other tenacious
heterogeneous 183. terra earth; land
84. hom/o man terrain
homicide 184. the/o God
85. homo/homeo same, similar, atheist
homonym 185. therm/o heat
equal thermometer
86. hydr/o water 186. tom/tome to cut
hydrant appendectomy
87. hyper- above; over 187. tort turn; twist
hyperactive distortion
88. hypo- below 188. tox poison
hypodermic toxemia
89. in-, im-, ir-, il not 189. tract draw; pull
incorrect; extract
190. trans- across
irrational transfer
90. inter- between; among 191. tri- three
intertwine triple
91. intra-, intro- within, inward 192. un- not
intramural unwise
into 193. uni- one
92. -itis -titis inflamation of unilateral
dermatitis 194. ven come
93. ject throw; hurl reject convene
94. junct join 195. ver true
 conjunction verity
95. kilo- thousand
kilowatt verisimilitude
96. later side 196. vers/vert to turn
unilateral versatile
97. laud praise 197. vic/vinc conquer
laudatory victory
98. leg law legal 198. vid/vis see
99. lingu tongue; language evident
linguistics 199. viv/i/vit/vi life
100. lith stone survive
monolith 200. voc/vok call, voice
101. log/o/ology study of; word vocal/provoke
dialogue 201. vol wish
reason volunteer
geology 202. volv/volut roll
102. luc/lus/lumen light revolve
translucent; 203. vor devour; eat
voracious
illuminate 204. xen/o foreign
xenophobic
205. zo animal
zoology