Words With The Root Path

Examples of Root Words: 45 Common Roots With Meanings

Have y'all always noticed that many words contain "deed" or "form," such as deedion, activity, conform, or information? Well, that'south because those are root words. Get a clear definition of what a root word is, along with several root word examples you lot tin observe in the English language language.

Senior comes from the root word sen Senior comes from the root give-and-take sen

What Is a Root Word?

A root word is a word or word part that forms the basis of new words through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. In traditional root words, these words come from Latin and Greek, and typically do not stand solitary equally a complete discussion. Understanding the meanings of common roots can assistance y'all piece of work out the meanings of new words every bit you encounter them.

Many of the words we use in our daily language come from a root word. Once you pull off any prefixes or suffixes, the root is normally what remains. For example, "egotist" has a root word of "ego" plus the suffix -ist. "Acting" has the root word "act" and -ing is merely the suffix.

What Are Roots?

While traditional root words come up from Greek and Latin, you might also see word of modernistic roots in English. A root is a consummate word that yous can't break down whatever further. For case, if you lot start with the discussion uncomfortable and remove the prefix un- and the suffix -able, y'all would be left with the root of "comfort." While this isn't a Greek or Latin root give-and-take, it is the furthest that the word can exist broken down.

Now that you know the divergence between traditional root words and modernistic roots, check out several examples of root words along with a few of the words formed from them.

Root Words That Can Stand Alone

Some root words can be used independently or as part of other common words in the English linguistic communication. The post-obit root words are provided with their meaning and, in parentheses, a few examples of the root as office of other words.

human activity - to movement or do (actor, acting, reenact)
arbor - tree (arboreal, arboretum, arborist)
catacomb - to hide (apocryphal, cryptic, cryptography)
ego - I (egotist, egoistic, egomaniac)
form - shape (conform, formulate, reform)
legal - related to the law (illegal, legalities, paralegal)
meter - measure out (kilometer, millimeter, pedometer)
norm - typical (abnormal, normality, paranormal)
phobia - fear (arachnophobia, claustrophobia, hydrophobia)

Root Words equally Word Stems

Since much of the English language is derived from Latin and Greek, there may be times when the root of a word isn't immediately recognizable because of its origin. You'll detect that the roots listed are from Greek or Latin and can't stand alone in English language; they need something joined to them to make a whole word in English language. Review the listing, as well as a few examples of English language words that are based on these roots.

acri - biting (acrid, acrimony, acridity)
astro - star (astronaut, astronomy, astrophysics)
aud - hear (audience, aural, audio)
auto - self (autonomy, autocrat, automatic)
bene - good (benefactor, benevolent, benign)
carn - flesh (carnal, cannibal, reincarnate)
corp - body (corporal, corporate, corpse)
cred - believe (apparent, credence, incredible)
dict - say (diction, dictate, edict)
fac - to do (factory, faculty, faction)
gen - nascency (genesis, genetics, generate)
lum - lite (lumen, luminary, luminous)
micro - minor (microbiology, microcosm, microscope)
multi - many (multilingual, multiple, multifaceted)
port - comport (portal, portable, transport)
sect - cut autonomously (dissect, sectional, transect)
sen - one-time (senator, senile, senior)
sent - to feel (consent, sensation, sensing)
tele - far (telephone, telegraph, television)
vor - to consume (herbivore, omnivore, voracious)

You could contend that roots similar "sent" and "sect" tin can also stand up lonely as English words, but they have unlike meanings in that example. For more examples, explore these Greek and Latin word roots.

Additional Root Word Examples

Whether talking with friends or reading a volume, you lot're constantly bombarded with root words. Here are more examples of roots, their meanings and other words that are formed by calculation prefixes and/or suffixes to these linguistic communication edifice blocks.

ambul - to movement or walk (ambulance, ambulate)
cardio - center (cardiovascular, electrocardiogram, cardiology)
cede - to go or yield (intercede, recede, concede)
counter - against or opposite (counteract, counterpoint, counterargument)
dem - people (republic, democrat, demographic)
derm - pare (dermatitis, dermatology, epidermis)
equi - equal (equity, equilateral, equidistant)
hypno - sleep (hypnosis, hypnotic, hypnotism)
intra - inside or into (intrapersonal, intramural, intravenous)
ject - to throw (reject, eject, inject)
magni - big or great (magnificent, magnify, magnitude)
mal - bad (malignant, malfunction, malice)
omni - all (omnipotent, omnipresent, omnivore)
pater - father (paternal, paternity, patriarch)
script - to write (manuscript, postscript, scripture)
vis, vid - to come across (envision, evident, vision)

You probably noted that a couple of these words can either stand alone, such every bit "script" and "cede," or serve as the building block to longer, fuller words.

Root Words vs. Base Words

The terms "root words" and "base of operations words" are often used interchangeably. The 2 are related, simply they're non exactly the aforementioned thing.

A base word is a standalone English language word that tin can also form other words with affixes (prefixes and suffixes). A root discussion is the Latin or Greek basis of a word that, generally speaking, can't be used equally a standalone word. You may also see only "root" used to refer to the basic Greek or Latin word part that cannot stand lone. For more than on that, learn whether base words and root words the aforementioned.

Benefits of Learning Root Words

It might be hard for you to understand why you need to acquire root words. However, the root words are like the roots of a tree; everything builds up from there. Therefore, root words concord the nigh meaning. Learning root words can help you lot see how the meaning of words builds and grows. Plus, if you know root words, a lot of times, y'all can have a clue equally to the definition of unfamiliar words.

Be Wise Nigh Your Roots

Every root give-and-take has a meaning, and that meaning corresponds to the new discussion fabricated from it. Exist careful, though; some root discussion combinations make less sense. Have the word "apology." Its root word logos means "speech" or "reason," and the prefix apo- means "abroad from." If yous were to interpret the meaning of apology based on root words alone, y'all might retrieve that it means "away from oral communication." That'southward not a very skillful explanation for a word that is used to express regret or remorse. So agreement the meaning of the roots tin help you lot in general, only it won't e'er provide you lot with a clear definition. To go along this compelling report, and learn more than near the history of the words nosotros use every solar day, bank check out some roots of English words found in Greek mythology.