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GRE Word Roots

Terms

undefined, object
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A:
WITHOUT:

amoral: neither moral nor immoral
atheist: one who doesn't believe in God
anomaly: an irregularity
agnostic: one who questions the existence of God
AB/ABS:
off, away from, apart, down

abhor: to hate, detest
abstract: conceived apart from concrete realities
abdicate: to renounce
abstruse: hard to understand; secret, hidden
:Abolish, abstinence, abnormal, abduct:
AC/ACR:
SHARP, BITTER

acid, acute, acerbic
exacerbate: to increase bitterness or violence;
acrid: sharp or biting to the taste or smell
acrimonious: caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature
ACT/AG:
to do; to drive; to force; to lead

Examples: agile,active,agitate
litigate: to make the subject of a lawsuit
prodigal: wastefully or recklessly extravagant
pedagogue: a teacher
synagogue: congregation of the Jewish to go worship
AD/AL:
to, toward, near

Examples: adapt, adjacent, addict, address, adjoin, advocate
admire: to regard with wonder, pleasure, and approval
adhere: to stick fast; cleave; cling
AM:
love

amateur
amatory: of or pertaining to lovers or lovemaking
amenity: agreeable ways or manners
amorous: inclined to love, esp. sexual love
enamored: inflamed with love; charmed; captivated
amity: friendship; peaceful harmony
inamorata: a female lover
amiable: having or showing agreeable personal qualities
amicable: characterized by exhibiting good will
AMB:
to go; to walk

Examples: ambitious, ambassador, ambulance, ambush
ambient: moving freely; circulating
preamble: an introductory statement
perambulator: one who makes a tour of inspectionon foot
AMB/AMPH:
both, more than one, around

Examples: ambiguous,
amphibian: any cold-blooded vertebrate, the larva of
which is aquatic, and the adult of which isterrestrial
ambidextrous: able to use both hands equally well
ANIM:
of the life, mind, soul, spirit

Examples: unanimous,animosity,
animus: hostile feeling or attitude
equanimity: mental or emotional stability, esp. under tension
magnanimous: generous in forgiving an insult orinjury
ANNUI/ENNI:
year

Examples: annual, anniversary, annuity
perennial: lasting for an indefinite amount of time
annals: a record of events, esp. a yearly record
ANTE:
before

anterior: placed before
antecedent: existing, being, or going before
antedate: precede in time
antebellum: before the war (esp. the American Civil War)
antediluvian: belonging to the period before the biblical Flood;
ANTHRO/ANDR:
man, human

Examples: anthropology, android
philanderer: one who carries on flirtations
androgynous: being both male and female
androgen: any substance that promotes masculine characteristics
anthropocentric: regarding man as the central fact of the universe
ANTI:
against

Examples: antibody, antidote, antiseptic
antipathy: aversion
antipodal: on the opposite side of the globe
APO:
away

Examples: apology,
apostle: one of the 12 disciples sent forth by Jesus to preach the gospel
apocalypse: revelation; discovery
apogee: highest Point; Zenith
apocryphal: of doubtful authorship or authenticity
apostasy: a total desertion of oneÂ’s religion,principles, party, ect...
ARCH/ARCHI/ARCHY:
chief, principal, ruler

Examples: architect, monarchy, anarchy
archenemy: chief enemy
oligarchy: a state or society ruled by a select group
AUTO:
self

automatic: self-moving or self-acting
autocrat: an absolute ruler
autonomy: independence or freedom
BE:
to be; to have a particular quality; to exist
Examples: belittle,
bemoan: to express pity for
bewilder: to confuse or puzzle completely
belie: to misrepresent; to contradict
BEL/BEL:
war

antebellum: before the war
rebel: a person who resists authority, control, or tradition
belligerent: warlike, given to waging war
BEN/BON:
good

Examples: benefit, bonus
benign: having a kindly disposition
benediction: act of uttering a blessing
benevolent: desiring to do good to others
bona fide: in good faith; without fraud
BI:
twice, double

Examples: binoculars, bilingual, biennial: happening every two years
bilateral: pertaining to or affecting two or both sides
bipartisan: representing two parties
CAD/CID:
to fall; to happen by chance
accident: happen by chance; unexpected

Examples: coincidence,
decadent: decaying; deteriorating
cascade: a waterfall descending over a steep surface
recidivist: one who repeatedly relapses, as into crime
CANT/CENT/CHANT:
to sing

accent: prominence of a syllable in terms of pronunciation
chant: a song; singing
enchant: to subject to magical influence; bewitch
recant: to withdraw or disavow a statement
incantation: the chanting of words purporting to have magical power
incentive: that which incites action
CAP/CIP/CEPT:
to take; to get

Examples: capture, anticipate
susceptible: capable of receiving, admitting, undergoing, or being affected by something
emancipate: to free from restraint
percipient: having perception; discerning; discriminating
precept: a commandment or direction given as a rule of conduct
CAP/CAPIT/CIPIT:
head, headlong

Examples: capital, disciple,
precipitate: to hasten the occurrence of; to bring about prematurely
precipice: a cliff with a vertical face
capitulate: to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms
caption: a heading or title
CARD/CORD/COUR:
heart

Example: cardiac, encourage
concord: agreement; peace, amity
discord: lack of harmony between persons or things
concordance: agreement, concord, harmony
CARN:
flesh

Examples: carnivorous, carnival
carnage: the slaughter of a great number of people
reincarnation: rebirth of a soul in a new body
incarnation: a being invested with a bodily form
CAST/CHAST:
cut

cast: to throw or hurl; fling
caste: a hereditary social group, limited to people of the same rank
castigate: severe punishment
chastise: to discipline, esp. by corporal punishment
chaste: free from obscenity; decent
CED/CEED/CESS:
to go; to yield; to stop

antecedent: existing, being, or going before
concede: to acknowledge as true, just, or proper;admit
predecessor: one who comes before another in an office, position, etc.
cessation: a temporary or complete discontinuance
incessant: without stop
CENTR:
center

Examples: concentrate, eccentric
concentric: having a common center, as in circles or spheres
centrifuge: an apparatus that rotates at high speed that separates substances of different densities using
centrifugal force
centrist: of or pertaining
CERN/CERT/CRET/CRIM/CRIT:
to separate; to judge; to distinguish; to decide

discrete: detached from others, separate
ascertain: to make sure of; to determine
certitude: freedom from doubt
discreet: judicious in oneÂ’s conduct of speech, esp. with regard to maintaining silence about some
thing of a delicate nature
hypocrite: a person who pretends to have beliefs that she does not
criterion: a standard of judgment or criticism
CHRON:
time

Examples: synchronize, chronology, chronic
anachronism: an obsolete or archaic form
chronometer: a time piece with a mechanism to adjust for accuracy
CIRCU:
around, on all sides

Examples: circumference, circumstances, circuit
circumambulate: to walk about or around
circuitous: roundabout, indirect
CIS:
to cut

Examples: scissors, precise, incision,
exorcise: to seek to expel an evil spirit by ceremony
incisive: penetrating, cutting
CLA/CLO/CLU:
shut, close

Examples: conclude, claustrophobia, disclose, exclusive, preclude
cloister: a courtyard bordered with covered walks, esp. in a religious institution
CLAIM/CLAM:
to shout; to cry out

Examples: exclaim, proclaim, disclaim,reclaim,
proclaim: to announce or declare in an official way
clamor: a loud uproar
CLI:
to lean toward

decline: to cause to slope or incline
recline: to lean back
climax: the most intense point in the
of something
proclivity: inclination, bias
disinclination: aversion, distaste
CO/COL/COM/CON:
with, together

Examples: connect, compatible, collide, collaborate, conciliate, commensurate

coerce: to compel by force, intimidation, or authority
CRE/CRESC/CRET:
to grow

Examples: accrue, creation, increase,increment,

accretion: an increase by natural growth
CRED:
to believe; to trust

incredible: unbelievable
credentials: anything that provides the basis for belief
credo: any formula of belief
credulity: willingness to believe or trust too readily
credit: trustworthiness
CRYP:
hidden

crypt: a subterranean chamber or vault
apocryphal: of doubtful authorship or authenticity
cryptology: the science of interpreting secret writings,
codes, ciphers, and the like
cryptography: procedures of making and using secret writing
CUB/CUMB:
to lie down

cubicle: any small space or compartment that is partitioned off
succumb: to give away to superior force; yield
incubate: to sit upon for the purpose of hatching
incumbent: holding an indicated position
recumbent: lying down; reclining; leaning
CULP
Blame

Examples: culprit
Culpable: deserving blame
Incopulate: to charge with fault
mea culpa: Through my fault
COUR/CUR
Running; A course

Ex: cursive, curriculum, courier, excursion, concur
recur: happen again
cursory: Going rapidly over something hasty; superficial.
DE
away, off, down, completely, reversal

Ex: descend, decipher, defame,
defile: to make foul, diry, or unclean
deferential: respectful; to yeild to judgement
delineate: to trace the outline of
DEM
People

Ex: Democracy, epidemic, demographics
endemic: peculiar to a particular people or locality
pandemic: general, universal
DI/ DIA
apart, through

EX: dialogue, diagnose, dilate
dilatory: inclined to delay or procrastinate
dichotomy: division into two parts, kinds, etc.
DIGN
Worth

EX: dignity, dignitary
deign; to think fit or in accordance with one's dignity
condign: well deserved
disdain: to look upon or treat with contempt
DIS/ DIF
away from, apart, reversal, not

EX: disperse, disseminate, dissapate, diffuse,
Dissuade: to deter by advice or persuasion.
DAC/ DOC
to teach

EX: doctor, doctrine
indoctrinate: to imbue a person with learning
docile: easily managed or handled; tractable
DOG/ DOX
opinion

EX: orthodox, paradox,

dogma: A system of tenets, as of a church
DOL
suffer; pain

EX: Condolence
indolence: state of being lazy
doleful: sorrwoful, mournful
dolorous: full o fpain or sorrow, grevious
DON/ DOT/ DOL
to give

EX: donate, pardon, antidote, anecdote

endow: to provide with a permanent fund
DUB
Doubt

EX: dubious, dubletly
indubitable: unquestionable
FAB/ FAM
speak

EX: fable, famous, defame

affable: friendly, courteous
FAC/ FIC/ FAIT/ FEITY/ FY
to do; to make

EX: factory, faction, deficient, configuration, conterfeit
prolific: producing many offspring or much output.
ratify: to conform or accept by formal consent
effigy: sculpture or model of a person
FER
to bring; to carry; to bear

EX: offer
confer: to grant, bestow
refferendum: to vote on politcal question open to the entire electorate
proffer: to offer
proliferate: reproduce; produce rapidly
FERV
to boil, to bubble

fervor: passion, zeal
fervid: ardent, intense
effervescent: wit the quality of giving off bubbles of gas
FID
Faith, trust

EX: confide, affidavit, fidelity

fiduciary: of a trust: held or give in trust
FIN
end

EX: final, confine, definitive, infinite
Infinitesimal: infinitely or very small
FLECT/ FLEX
to bend

EX: deflect, fexible, fluctuatution
effluence: flowing out of (light, electricti, etc.)
confluence: merging into one
melifluous: pleasing, musical
FLAG/ FLAM
to burn

EX: flame, flammable, flagrant
conflagration: large destructive fire.
FLU/ FLUX
to flow

eX: fluid, fluctuation,
effluence: move out
confluence: merging into one
melifluous: pleasing, musical
FORE
before

EX: foresight, foreshadow, forestall, forthright: straightforward, outspoken, decisive
FORT
strength

Fortify: to provide with fortifications; strengthen
Fortisimo: very loud
FRA/ FRAC/ FRAG/ FRING
to break

EX: fracture, fragment, fraction, infringe
refractory: stubborn, unmanageable, rebellious
FUS
to pour

EX: profuse, difuse, infusion
soffuse: to spread widely or thinly
GEN
Birth, creation, race, kind

EX: generous, genetics, gender, congenital,
carcinogenic: producing cancer
progeny: offspring, descendants
miscogenation: interbreeding of races
NG/ NGO
know

EX: agnostic, ignore, ignoramus, recognize, incognito, diagnosis
prognosis: to forecast, especially of disease
GRAT
pleasing

EX: grateful, gratuity, gracious
ingratiate, to bring oneself into favor
GRAD/ GRESS
to step up

EX: progress, aggressive, degrade, digress
egress: going out, way out
HER/ HES
to stick

EX: coherent, adhesive, inherent, adherent, heredity
(H)etereo
different

EX: Heterosexual
heterogenous: of other origin: not originating in the body
Heterodox: different from acknoledge standard; holding unorthodox opinions
(H)om
same

Homogeneous: same or similar kind of nature
homonym: one of two words spelled and pronouced alike but different in meaning
homeostasis: a relatively stable state of equilibrium.
HYPER
over, excessive

EX: hyperactive, heperglytemia
HYPO
under, beneath, less than

hypodermic:relating to parts beneath skin
hypochondriac: one affected by extremee depression centered on imaginary illness
hypocritical: affecting virtues one doe snot have
IDIO
one own

ideiot: an utterly stupid person
idiom: a language, dialect, or style of speaking particular to people.
IM/ IN/ EM/ EN
in, into

EX: ebrace, enclose, implicit, incarnate
intrinsic: belonging to a thing by its very nature
indigenous: native, innate, natural
IM/ IN
not, without

EX: inactive, innocuous, indolence, impartial,
indolence: showing a disposition to avoid exertion: slothful
indegent: deficient in what is requisite
INTER
between, among

EX: interstate, interim, intermittent
interloper: one who intrudes int the domain of others
intersperse: to scatter here and there
JECT
to throw: to throw down

EX: inject, dejected, ejected
abjected: utterly hopeless, humiliating, or wretched
JOIN/ JUNCT
to meet; to join

EX: junction, adjoin
subjugte: to conquer
rejoinder: to reply, retort
Junta:(usually military) clique taking power after a coup' d etat
JUR
to swear

perjury: willful lying while on oath
abjure: to renounce on oath
adjure: to beg or command
LECT/ LEG
to select, to choose

EX: collect, elect, select, eclectic
LEV
lift, light, rise

EX: relieve, alleviate, relevant
levee: embankment against river flooding
LOC/ LOG/ LOQU
Word, speech

dialogue: conversation(esp in LIT)
elocution: art of clear and expressive speaking.
prologue: introduction of play or poem
colloquil: of ordinary or familiar conversation.
grandiloquent: pompous or inflated in language.
LUC/ LUM/ LUS
light

EX: illustrate, illuminate, illustrious, translucent, lucid
lackluster: lacking brilliance or radiance
LUC/ LUS
to play

EX: illusion, ludious, delude, elude
allude: to refer casually or indirectly
prelude: a preliminary to an action, event, etc...
LUT/ LUT/ LUV
to wash

EX: lavatory, dilute, pollute
deluge: great flood of water
antidilluvian: before the biblical flood; extremely old
MAG/ MAJ/ MAx
big

EX: magnify, magnitude, maximum
magnanimous: generous in forgiving
MAL/ MALE
bad, ill, evil, wrong

EX: malfuction, malicious
malign: to speak harmful untruth about, to slander
malady: disorder or disease of the body
malediction: a curse
MAN
hand

EX: manual, manufacture, manifest
emancipate: to free from bondage
mandate: an authoritative order or command
MIN
to project, to hang over

eminent: towering above others: projecting
imminent: about to occur; impending
prominent: projecting outward
preeminent: superiour to or notable above all others.
MIS/ MIT
to send

EX: transmit, intermittent, remit
emissary: a messenger or agent sent to represent the interest of others
remission: a lessening of intesity or degree
MISC
mixed

Ex: miscellaneous, promiscuous
miscegenation: the interbreeding of races, esp marriage between white and nonwhite persons.
MON/ MONIT
to remind; to warn

EX: monument, monitor, summon, remonstrate
admonish: to counsel against something; to caution
MORPH
shape

amorphus: without definite form;
metamorphosis: transformation by sorcery
Anthropomorphism: attribution o fhuman charactrstics to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.
MORT
death

Immortal
morbid: susceptible to preoccupation with unwholesome matters
MUT
change

EX: commute, mutation
transmutation: the act of changing from one form to another
permutation: complete change, transformation.
NAT/ NAS/ NAI
to be born

EX: natural, native, naive
cognate: related by blood, common ancestor
renaissance: rebirth, esp referring to culture.
NIC/ NOC/ NOX
harm

EX: innocent, obnoxious
noxious: injurious or harmful to health or morals
innocuous: having no adverse effect: harmless
NOM
rule, order

EX: astronomy, economy
gastronomy: the art of science of good eating
taxonomy: the science, laws, or principles of classifications.
NOV/ NEO/ NOU
new

EX: novice, renovate, innovate
neologism: a newly coned word, phrase, or expression
neophyte: a recent convert
nouveau riche: one who has lately become rich
NOUNC/ NUNC
to announce

EX: announce, pronounce, renounce,
OB/ OC/ OF/ OP
toward, to, against, completely, over

EX: obese, obstruct, oblique
obstinate: stubbornly adhering to one idea, inflexible
obstreperous: noisily defiant, unruly
obtuse: not sharp or acute
obfuscate: to render indistinct or dim: darken
OMNI
all

omnibus: an anthology of the wordks of one author or of writings on relevant subject
omnipresent: everywhere at one time
omnipotent: all powerful
PAC/ PEAC
peace

appease: bring peace to
pacify: to ease anger and agitation
pacifier: something that eases agitation
pact: a formal agreement
PAN
all, everyone

EX: panorama, pandemic
panegyric: formal or elaborate phrase at an assembly
pantheon: public building containing memorials of dead
panoply: wide range of display
PAR
equal

par: an equality in value or standing
parity: equally, as in amount, status, or character
apartheid: any system or caste that separates people by race, etc...
disparate: essentially different
PARA
Next to, besides

Ex: parrallel, parasite, parody, paragon, paranoid
parable: a short,allegorical story designed to illustrate a moral lesson.
PAS/ PAT/ PATH
feeling, suffering, disease

EX: sympathy, empathy, compassion, dispassionate
impassive: showing or feeling no emotion
sociopath: a person whose behavior is antisocial N lacks moral responsibility
PAU/ PO/ POV/ PU
few, little, poor

Ex: poor, poverty, impoverish
paucity: smallness of quantity; scarcity; scnatiness
pauper: person without any personal means of support.
pussilanimous: lacking courage
PED
child, education

pedagogue: a teacher
pediatrition: doctor with mostly child patients
encylopedia:
PED/ POD
foot

Ex: pedal, pedestrian, expedite
impede: to retard progress by means of obstacles or hindraces
podium: small platform of orchestra
antipodes: places diametrically opposite each other on the globe
PEND/ PENS
to hang; to weight; to pay

EX: depend, compensate, indispensable
stipend: a periodic or fixed regular payment
appendix: supplementary material at the end of a text
PEN/ PUN
to pay; to compensate

Ex: penal, penalty, penance
punitive: to punish
penitent: contrite
repine: to fret or complain
PER
completely

EX: persistent, perforate, perplex
peruse: read without thought or care
perfuctory: performed as routine duty
pertinacious: resolute
PERI
around

Perimeter
periscope: optical instrument for seeing objects in an obstructed field of vision.
Peripatetic: walking or traveling about; interant
PET/ PIT
to go; to seek; to strive

Ex: appetite, compete, petition
impetuous: characterized by sudden or rash emotion
petulant: showing sudden irritation, esp over some annoyance
PHIL
love

EX: philosophy
philatelist: one who loves and collects stamps
philology:
bibliophile: one who loves to collect books
PLAC
to please

Ex: placid, placebo (placebo effect)
implacable: unable to be pleased
complacent: self satisfied; unconcerned
complaisant: inclined or disposed to please
PLE
to fill

EX: complete, deplete, implement, replete, supplement
PLEX/ PLIC/ PLY
to fold; to twist; to tangle; to bend

Ex: complex, replica, implicit, implicate, duplicity,
supplicate: to make humble and earnest entreaty
PON/ POS/ POUND
to put; to place

EX: componenet, expose, expound, repository

juxtapose: to place close together or side by side sep for contract
PORT
to carry

EX: import, export, portable, deportment
disport: to diver or amuse oneself
POST
after

posthumous: after death
posterior: situated at the rear
posterity: succeeding in future generations collectively
post facto: after the fact
PREHEND/ PRISE
to take; to get; to seize

EX: surprise, enterprise, reprehensible, apprehend
comprise: to include or contain
reprisals: retalliation against an enemy
PRO
much, for, a lot

Ex: profuse, provident,
prolific: highly fruitful
prodigal: recklessly extravagant
prodigious: extraordinary in size
prosyletize: to convert or attempt to recruit
PROB
to prove; to test

EX: probe, problematic
approbation: praise, consideration
approbrium: disgrace incurred by shameful conduct
reprobate: a depraved or wicked person
PUG
to fight

pugnacious: to quarrel or fight readily
impugn: to challenge as false
repugnent: objectional or offensive
PUNC/ PUGN/ POIGN
to point; to prick

EX: point, puncture, pungent
compunction: a feeling of unseasiness for doing wrong
puntillious: strict or exact in the observance of formalities
QUE/ QUIS
to seek

EX: acquire, exquisite, inquisitive, query,
conquest: vanquishment
querulous: full of complaints
perquisite: a gratuity/ tip
QUI
quiet

EX: quiet, disquiet, tranquil
acquiesce: to comply; give in
quiescence: the condiditon of being at rest, still, inactive
RID/ RIS
to laugh

EX: riddle
derision: the act of mockery
risible: causing laughter
ROG
to ask

EX: interrogate, arrogant, surrogate, derogatory
arrogate: to claim unwarrantably or presumptuously
SAL/ SIL/ SAULT/ SULT
to leap, to jump

EX: insult, assault, somersault, resillient
salient: prominent or conspicuous
insolent: boldly rude or disrespectful
exult: to show or feel triumphant joy
SACR/ SANCT/ SECR
sacred

EX: sacred, sacrifice, sanctify
sanction: authoritative permission or approval
sacrament: somehting regarded as sacred
sacrilege: the violation of anything sacred
SCI
to know

consious: aware
conscience:
unconscionable: unscrupulous
omniscient: knowing everything
prescient: having knowledge of things before they happen.
SCRIBE/ SCRIP
to write

EX: scribble, describe, script,
ascribe: to creidt or assiant, as to a cause or a course
conscription: draft
cirucumscribe: to draw a line around
SE
apart

EX: select, separate, seduce, segregate, secede
sequester: to remove or redraw
sedition: incitement of discontent or rebellion against a government.
SEC/ SEQ
to follow

EX: second, prosecute, sequence
obsequious: fawning
non sequitur: an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises.
SED/ SESS/ SID
to sit; to be still; to plan; to plot

EX: preside, resident, deiment
dissident: disapgreeing as in opinor or attitude
residual: remaing, leftover
SENS/ SENT
to feel; to be aware of

EX: sense, sensory, sentiment, resent
presentiment: feeling that something's gonna happen
sentinel: a person or thing that stands watch
insensate: without feeling
SOL
to loosen; to set free

EX: dissolve, sluble, resolution, dissolution, dissolute
absolution: forgiveness for wrongdoing
SPEC/ SPIC/ SPIT
to look; to see

EX: perspective, speculation, suspicious, specturm, retrospective, cirucumspect: cautious
perspicacious: having keen mental perception and understanding.
conspicuous: easily seen or noticed
STA/ STI
to stand; to be in place

EX: static, destitute, obstinate, constitute
stasis: the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by equal opposing force
apostasy: renunciation of an object of one's previous loyalty
SUA
smooth

Suave:
Persuade:
Dissuade: to deter
SUB/ SUP
below

EX: submissive, subsidiary, submliminal, subtle
subterfuge: an aftifice or expedient used to evade a rule
supposition: act of assuming
SUPER SUR
above

Ex: surpass, supersceded, survellance
superlative: the highest kind or order
surmount: to get over or accross
TAC/ TIC
to be silent

reticent: disposed to be silent or not speak freely
tacit: unspoken understanding.

Deck Info

149

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