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Jump directly to a root word: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Looking for suffixes (word endings)? You find them on a separate list of suffixes.
When you know root words, you can recognize the basis of any word and use that knowledge to help you define a word you may not otherwise know. Keep reading to learn more about root words and to see a list of over 100 root word definitions.
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 alone as a complete word. Understanding the meanings of common roots can help you work out the meanings of new words as you encounter them.
Learning about root words can help you work out the meaning of new or longer words. When you know how to decode unknown words by identifying their root words and affixes (i.e., the prefix or suffix attached to them), you can navigate more complex or specialized texts.
Root words are a type of morpheme (small part of a word) with a distinct meaning that can combine with affixes to create new words or sometimes act alone as independent words. Root words are instrumental in grammar for forming words, and understanding their meanings can help you define new words with those same roots.
Familiarity with Greek and Latin roots, as well as prefixes and suffixes, can help students understand the meaning of new words. This adapted article includes many of the most common examples.
In linguistics, a root word holds the most basic meaning of any word. It's what's left after you remove all the affixes — the prefixes like "un-" or "anti-" and suffixes such as "-able" and "-tion."