Greek and Latin Roots

ambi- both
- ambiguous : having or expressing more than one possible meaning
- ambidextrous : able to use both hands equally well
aqua- water
- aquarium : a tank, usually with glass sides, or a pool, bowl, etc. for keeping live water animals and water plants
- aquamarine : a transparent, pale bluish-green variety of beryl, used in jewelry
aud- to hear
- audience : the group of people together in one place to watch or listen to a play, film, someone speaking, etc.
- audition : to give, watch, or listen to a short performance that tests whether a performer’s skills are suitable for a particular event or group
bene- good
- benefactor : someone who gives money to help an organization, society, or person
- benefit : a helpful or good effect, or something intended to help
cent- one hundred
- century : a period of 100 years
- percent : for or out of every 100, shown by the symbol %
circum- around
- circumference : the line surrounding a circular space, or the length of this line
- circumscribe : if you circumscribe a triangle, square, etc., you draw a circle that surrounds it and touches each of its corners
contra/ counter- against
- contradict : (of people) to say the opposite of what someone else has said, or (of one fact or statement) to be so different from another fact or statement that one of them must be wrong
- encounter : to experience a situation, especially something that is unexpected or unpleasant
dict- to say
- dictation : the act of saying something aloud, so that your words can be prepared in writing by someone else
- predict : to say that an event or action will happen in the future, especially as a result of knowledge or experience
duc/ duct- to lead
- conduct : to lead someone to a particular place
- induce : to persuade someone to do something, or to cause something to happen
fac- to do, to make
- factory : a building or buildings where people use machines to produce goods
- manufacture : to produce goods in large numbers, usually in a factory using machines
form- shape
- conform : to behave according to a group’s usual standards and expectations, or to operate according to a rule
- reform : to make an improvement, especially by changing a person's behaviour or the structure of something
fort- strength
- fortitude : bravery when dealing with pain or difficulty, esp. over a long period
- fortress : a large, strong building or group of buildings that can be defended from attack
fract- break
- fracture : to break, crack, or split
- fraction : a breaking or dividing, specif., of the Host in the Mass
ject- throw
- reject : to refuse to accept, consider, submit to, take for some purpose, or use. To throw out an idea
- interject : to throw in between or among other things
jud- judge
- judicial : allowed, enforced, or set by order of a judge or law court
- prejudice : a judgment or opinion formed before the facts are known; preconceived idea, favorable or, more usually, unfavorable
mal- bad
- malevolent : wishing evil or harm to others; having or showing ill will; malicious
- malefactor : an evildoer or criminal
mit- to send
- transmit : to send or cause to go from one person or place to another, esp. across intervening space or distance; transfer; dispatch; convey
- committee : a group of people chosen, as from the members of a legislature or club, to consider, investigate, and report or act on some matter or on matters of a certain kind
mort- death
- mortal : of a human being considered as a being who must eventually die
- postmortem : of or pertaining to examination of the body after death
multi- many
- multimedia : a combination of media, as film, tape recordings, slides, and special lighting effects, used for entertainment or education
- multiple : having or consisting of many parts, elements, etc.; more than one or once; manifold or complex
pater- father
- paternal : of, like, or characteristic of a father or fatherhood; fatherly
- paternity : the state of being a father; fatherhood
port- to carry
- transport : to carry or cause to go from one place to another, esp over some distance
- sport : to carry one away from everyday concerns
rupt- to break
- bankrupt : anyone unable to pay his or her debts
- disrupt : to break apart; split up; rend asunder
scrib/ script- to write
- inscription : something inscribed or engraved, as on a coin or monument
- prescribe : to order or advise as a medicine or treatment said of physicians, etc
sect/ sec- to cut
- bisect : to divide into two equal parts
- section : any of the more or less distinct parts into which something is or may be divided or from which it is made up.
sent- to feel, to send
- consent : to agree (to do something)
- resent : to feel or show displeasure and hurt or indignation at (some act, remark, etc.) or toward (a person), from a sense of being injured or offended
spect- to look
- inspection : official examination or review, as of troops
- spectator : a person who sees or watches something without taking an active part; onlooker
struct- to build
- destruction : the act or process of destroying; demolition or slaughter
- restructure : to plan or provide a new structure or organization for
vid/ vis- to see
- television : a system for transmitting visual images and sound that are reproduced on screens, chiefly used to broadcast programs for entertainment, information, and education.
- video : designating or of the display of data on a computer screen
voc/ vok- to call
- vocalize : to give utterance to; express with the voice; speak or sing
- advocate : a person who speaks or writes in support of something

anthropo- man; human; humanity
- anthropology : the study of humans, esp. of the variety, physical and cultural characteristics, distribution, customs, social relationships, etc. of humanity
- philanthropy : the giving of money to people who need it, without wanting anything in return
auto- self
- autobiography : the art or practice of writing one's own biography
- autonomy : the fact or condition of being autonomous; self-government; independence
bio- life
- biology : the science that deals with the origin, history, physical characteristics, life processes, habits, etc. of living organisms, as plants and animals, and of viruses: it includes botany, zoology, and microbiology
- biography : the histories of individual lives, considered as a branch of literature
chron- time
- chronological : arranged in the order of occurrence
- chronic : lasting a long time or recurring often see also acute
dyna- power
- dynamic : (of a person) positive in attitude and full of energy and new ideas.
- dynamite : a powerful explosive made by soaking nitroglycerin into some absorbent, such as ammonium nitrate and wood pulp
dys- bad; hard; unlucky
- dysfunctional : unable to function normally, properly, etc
- dyslexic : difficulty with reading because of a slight disorder of their brain
gram- thing written
- epigram : a short poem with a witty or satirical point
- telegram : a message transmitted by telegraph
graph- writing
- graphic : written, inscribed, or recorded in letters of the alphabet, meaningful symbols, etc
- phonograph : a device for reproducing sound that has been mechanically transcribed in a spiral groove on a circular disk or cylinder: a stylus following the groove in the revolving disk or cylinder transmits vibrations which are converted into sound
hetero- different
- heteronym : a word with the same spelling as another or others, but with different meaning and pronunciation
- heterogeneous : composed of unrelated or unlike elements or parts; varied; miscellaneous
homo- same
- homonym : a word with the same pronunciation as another but with a different meaning, origin, and, usually, spelling
- homogenous : having similarity in structure because of common descent
hydr- water
- hydration : to combine with water
- dehydrated : having lost a large amount of water from the body.
hyper- over; above; beyond
- hyperactive : extremely, esp. abnormally, active
- hyperbole : exaggeration for effect and not meant to be taken literally
hypo- below; beneath
- hypothermia : a subnormal body temperature
- hypothetical : based on, involving, or having the nature of a hypothesis; assumed; supposed
logy- study of
- biology : the science that deals with the origin, history, physical characteristics, life processes, habits, etc. of living organisms, as plants and animals, and of viruses: it includes botany, zoology, and microbiology
- psychology : the science dealing with the mind and with mental and emotional processes
meter/ metr- measure
- thermometer : an instrument for measuring temperatures, consisting of a graduated glass tube with a sealed, capillary bore in which mercury, colored alcohol, etc. rises or falls as it expands or contracts from changes in temperature see also Fahrenheit, Celsius, Kelvin, Reaumur
- perimeter : the outer boundary of a figure or area
micro- small
- microbe : a microscopic organism; esp., any of the bacteria that cause disease; germ
- microscope : is a scientific instrument which makes very small objects look bigger so that more detail can be seen
mis/ miso- hate
- misanthrope : is a person who does not like other people
- misogyny : is a strong dislike of women
mono- one
- monologue : a long speech by one speaker, esp. one monopolizing the conversation
- monotonous : going on in the same tone without variation
morph- form; shape
- morphology : the branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of animals and plants
- morphing : a special-effects process used in film or video production in which persons or objects seem to change shape, form, etc. in a smoothly continuous series of images created in a digital computer
nym- name
- antonym : a word that is opposite in meaning to another word
- synonym : a word having the same or nearly the same meaning in one or more senses as another in the same language
phil- love
- philosopher : a lover of wisdom
- philologist : a lover of words
phobia- fear
- claustrophobia : an abnormal fear of being in an enclosed or confined place
- phobic : having a phobia or phobias
photo/ phos- light
- phosphorus : a nonmetallic chemical element, normally a white, phosphorescent, waxy solid, becoming yellow when exposed to light
- photophone : a device for the communication of sound on a beam of light. Used to transmit the first ever wireless telephone messages
pseudo- false
- pseudoscience : a discipline or approach that pretends to be or has a close resemblance to science
- pseudonym : is a name which someone, usually a writer, uses instead of his or her real name
psycho- soul; spirit
- psychology : the science dealing with the mind and with mental and emotional processes
- psychic : a person who is supposedly sensitive to forces beyond the physical world
scope- viewing instrument
- microscope : is a scientific instrument which makes very small objects look bigger so that more detail can be seen
- telescope : an optical instrument for making distant objects, as the stars, appear nearer and consequently larger: it consists of two or more lenses or mirrors
techno- art; science; skill
- technique : the method of procedure (with reference to practical or formal details), or way of using basic skills, in rendering an artistic work or carrying out a scientific or mechanical operation
- technological : of or having to do with technology
tele- far off
- television : a system for transmitting visual images and sound that are reproduced on screens, chiefly used to broadcast programs for entertainment, information, and education
- telephone : a system for transmitting speech or computerized information over distances, usually by converting sounds into electric impulses that are sent through a network of wires and cables: some systems transmit by means of radio waves
therm- heat
- thermal : relating to or caused by heat or by changes in temperature
- thermometer : an instrument for measuring temperatures, consisting of a graduated glass tube with a sealed, capillary bore in which mercury, colored alcohol, etc. rises or falls as it expands or contracts from changes in temperature see also Fahrenheit, Celsius, Kelvin, Reaumur