GRE Word Roots
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- 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
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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.