Root library

Latin roots: meanings and word families

Explore 120 Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Each entry gives its meaning, variants, and recorded word connections.

Body & Health

• aud-

  hearing

• man-

  hand

• spir-

  breathing

• ped-

  foot

• corp-

  body

• tang-

  touching

Earth & Sky

• terr-

  earth, land

• loc-

  place

Form & Making

• fac-

  making, doing

• form-

  shape, form

• struct-

  building

Knowledge & Belief

• sci-

  knowing

• cred-

  believing, trusting

• fid-

  faith, trust

• ver-

  true

Life & Nature

• nat-

  being born

• vit-

  life

• mort-

  death

Mind & Feeling

• am-

  love

• sent-

  feeling, perceiving

• bene-

  good, well

• anim-

  mind, spirit, breath

• grat-

  pleasing, thankful

Motion & Action

• cap-

  taking, seizing

• ag-

  doing, driving

• pos-

  placing, putting

• fer-

  carrying, bearing

• stat-

  standing

• duc-

  leading

• ten-

  holding

• ced-

  going, yielding

• mitt-

  sending

• port-

  carrying

• ject-

  throwing

• ven-

  coming

• vert-

  turning

• curr-

  running

• mov-

  moving

• grad-

  stepping, going

• tract-

  dragging, pulling

• pend-

  hanging, weighing, paying

• tend-

  stretching

• sequ-

  following

• cad-

  falling

• sed-

  sitting, settling

• rupt-

  breaking

• solv-

  loosening, freeing

• pell-

  driving, pushing

• clud-

  closing, shutting

• vinc-

  conquering

• fort-

  strong

• volv-

  rolling

• strict-

  binding tight

• flect-

  bending

• nav-

  ship

Number & Measure

• uni-

  one

• magn-

  great, large

• cent-

  hundred

• bi-

  two, twice

• omni-

  all

• tri-

  three

• numer-

  number

Prefixes

• re-

  back, again

• ex-

  out of, from

• in- (not)

  not (negative)

• in- (in)

  in, into, on

• de-

  down, away, off

• con-

  with, together

• ad-

  to, toward

• dis-

  apart, away, not

• sub-

  under, below

• pre-

  before, in front

• pro-

  forward, for, in place of

• trans-

  across, through

• inter-

  between, among

• super-

  above, over

• per-

  through, thoroughly

• ob-

  against, toward

• ab-

  away from

• multi-

  many

• circum-

  around

• contra-

  against

• intra-

  within

• se-

  apart, aside

• semi-

  half

Sight & Light

• spec-

  looking, watching

• vid-

  seeing

• luc-

  light

Society & Law

• reg-

  ruling, straight

• pot-

  power, ability

• jur-

  law, swearing

• leg-

  law

• popul-

  people

• civ-

  citizen

• liber-

  free

• patr-

  father

• matr-

  mother

• urb-

  city

Speech & Writing

• dic-

  saying, speaking

• scrib-

  writing

• lect-

  reading, choosing, gathering

• voc-

  voice, calling

• loqu-

  speaking

• clam-

  shouting

• son-

  sound

• verb-

  word

• not-

  marking, knowing

Suffixes

• -tion

  act or result of (noun-forming)

• -able

  capable of being

• -or

  one who does (agent)

• -al

  relating to

• -ous

  full of

• -ity

  state or quality of

Time & Order

• fin-

  end, limit

• tempor-

  time

• prim-

  first

• nov-

  new

• ann-

  year

Water & Fire

• aqu-

  water

• mar-

  sea