Latin Roots:
What: Each week you will be issued a vocabulary list of both Latin roots and one of their derivatives. Your job is to
study, complete a vocabulary square form, and apply your knowledge of these words throughout the week, all of which
will culminate in a vocabulary quiz on Thursdays of each week.
Why: Having an extensive vocabulary can be useful in society, especially when asked to express or interpret. If you don’t
know a word, but you know the root of the word, you can deduce meaning without having to look up every word in the
dictionary. This is an exceptionally useful skill for the SAT and ACT, which most of you will take sometime this year or
next.
Ex. Ab- is a root word meaning from; away; down. Abdicate means to relinquish power formally. Even if you don’t know
what relinquish means, you can figure it out based on the root. Ab= down so Abdicate essentially means to step down.
Now you try… Ad- =to; toward; near; addition to…Adhesive means tending to adhere or cause adherence; so what
might adhere mean? _________________________________________________________________________________
Latin Roots Vocabulary List# 1
Latin Root
Abfrom; away; down
Adto; toward; near; addition to
Ambiboth; around
Antebefore; prior to
Benegood; well
Brevshort
Circumaround
Comtogether; with
Contraagainst
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 2
Latin Root
dedifexenextraininterintralong-
down; away; from; reverse action of
apart; in different direction
out of; from
in; within
outside of; beyond
in; within; into; on; not
between; among
within; inside of
long
Derivative
Abdicate- to relinquish power formally
Adhesive- tending to adhere or cause adherence
Ambidextrous- using both hands with equal ease
Antecedent- a preceding event, condition, or cause
Benediction- an expression of good wishes
Brevity- shortness of duration
Circumscribe- to draw a line around; to define or mark of carefully
Combine- to become one; intermix; blend
Contradict- to resist or oppose in argument; to go counter to
Derivative
Deduct- to take away; to deduce
Differ- to be unlike or distinct in nature, form or characteristics; to
change from time to time or from one instance to another
Expel- to drive away; to force out from
Enslave- subjugate; to reduce or as if to slavery
Extravagant- exceeding the limits of reason or necessity; lacking in
moderation, balance, and restraint
Inactive- being out of use
International- affecting or involving two or more nations; relating to
one whose activities extend across national boundaries
Intramural- occurring within the limits or boundaries of a community
or institution
Longitude- angular distance measured on a great circle of
reference from the intersection of the adopted zero meridian with this
reference circle to the similar intersection of the meridian passing
through the object.
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 3
Latin Root
Magngreat; large
Malbad; ill; wrong; evil
Multimany
Nonnot; opposite
Obagainst; to; toward
Omniall; everywhere
Perthrough; away; completely
Postafter; behind; later
Prebefore; in front of
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 4
Latin Root
Probefore; supporting
Reback; again; anew
Retrobackward; back
Seapart; aside
Subunder; below; lower in rank
Superabove; over; greater
Transover; across; beyond; through
Ultrabeyond; excessive
Unnot; lack of; opposite
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 5
Latin Root
MediNumerTotSemiPrimSesquiBiDuTri-
middle
number
all; whole
half; partly; twice
one; first
one and a half
two; twice
two; second
three; third
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 6
Latin Root
QuadrQuinSex-,
SeptOctNonaDecCentMill-
four; fourth
five, fifth
sext-, six; sixth
seven; seventh
eight; eighth
nine; ninth
ten; tenth
hundred; hundredth
thousand; thousandth
Derivative
Magnify- to enlarge in fact or in appearance
Malignant- having an evil influence; tending to produce death or
deterioration
Multitude- a great number
Nonsense- language or conduct that is absurd or meaningless
Object- to oppose something or disapprove
Omnivorous- feeding on both animal and vegetable substances;
avidly taking in everything as if devouring or consuming.
Perceive- to attain awareness or understanding of something
through the sense
Postpone- to put off until later; delay
Prejudice- a preconceived, usually unfavorable, idea, judgment or
opinion
Proceed- to go on especially after stopping
Derivative
Proceed- to go on especially after stopping
Reflex- an involuntary action due to the direct transmission of a
stimulus to a muscle
Retroactive- effective or applicable to a period prior to the time of
enactment
Seclusion- isolation
Subterranean- underground
Supersonic- of or moving at a speed faster than that of sound
Transfer- to carry, send, etc. to another person or place
Ultraviolet- lying just beyond the violet end of the visible spectrum
Uncertain- not sure; doubtful
Derivative
Medium- a middle state of degree
Numerical- expressed by numbers, not by letters
Total- whole; entire; complete
Semiannual-happening every half year
Primary- original; earliest; fundamental
Sesquicentennial- of or ending a period of 150 years
Bilingual- capable of using two languages
Dual- composed of two parts or kinds
Triangle- a geometrical figure having three angles and three sides
Derivative
Quadruped-an animal with four feet
Quintuple- five times as much or many
Sexagenarian- a person between the ages of sixty and seventy
Septennial- happening every seven years
Octuple- consisting of eight parts
Nonagon- a plane figure having nine angles and nine sides
Decade- a group of ten
Centipede- a many-segmented, insect eating arthropod with a pair of
legs to each segment
Millennium- any period of 1,000 years
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 7
Latin Root (Prefixes)
FerriHomiInfraJuxtaPauciPreterQuasiSubterSupra-
iron; containing iron
man; genus or primates
below; beneath
beside; close by
few; scarcity
past; beyond
as if; seemingly
under; below secretly
above; beyond
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 8
Latin Root (Suffixes)
-ana
-atim
-escent
-fer
-fy
-late
-nda
-parous
-ply
sayings; facts; anecdotes
________by__________
becoming; giving off
bear; produce
make; do; cause
bear; carry
to be ___________
bear; bring forth
fold; twist; weave
Latin Roots Vocabulary List #9
Latin Root
DictVokLoquLinguSonVisSpecSciQuest-
say, speak, tell
call, voice
speak
tongue, language
sound
see, look
see, behold, look, view
to know
ask, seek, inquire
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 10
Latin Root
Duct
Loc
Ver
Sag
Crim
Cred
Script
Grad
Clos
lead, bring, draw
place
truth
wise, foreseeing
crime, judge, accuse
trust, believe
write
step, degree, rank, walk
lock, shut, close
Derivatives
Ferriferous- containing or yielding iron
Homicide- the killing of one person by another
Infrared- pertaining to electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths
greater than those of visible light and shorter than those of microwaves
Juxtapose- to place side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast
Paucity- smallness of number or quantity; scarcity
Preternatural- out of or beyond the normal course of nature
Quasi-judicial- in some manner, pertaining to courts of law or to the
administration of justice
Subterfuge- a deceptive stratagem or device
Supraliminal- above the threshold of consciousness or of sensation
Derivative
Americana- a collection of things relating to American history,
folklore, or geography
Verbatim- using exactly the same words; word for word
Obsolescent- passing out of use; becoming obsolete
Conifer- evergreen, cone-bearing trees, such as hemlock, fir, pine
Liquefy- to cause to become liquid; to melt by heating
Translate- to convey from one form or style to another; to explain
Memoranda- a short note written as a reminder
Viviparous- giving birth to living offspring that develops within the
mother’s body
Multiply- to increase the amount, number or degree of
Derivative
Contradict- to resist or oppose in argument
Revoke- to bring or call back; to annul by recalling
Soliloquy- the act of talking to oneself
Bilingual-of, containing, or expressed in two languages
Supersonic- having ability above the human ear’s hearing limit
Invisible- incapable by nature of being seen
Spectator- one w ho looks on or watches
Omniscient- having infinite understand, awareness and insight
Request –the act or instance of asking for something
Derivative
Abduct- to carry off by force
Locality- a particular place, situation or location
Verify- to establish the truth, accuracy, or reality of
Sagacious- keen in sense perception
Discriminate- to distinguish by discerning or exposing differences
Credible- offering reasonable grounds for being believed
Postscript- a note or series of notes appended to a completed letter,
book, or article (PS)
Graduate- to admit to a particular standing or grade
Enclose- to close in, to surround
Latin Roots Vocabulary List # 11
Latin Root
VorVerbAnimVitDormSomnAmbulMotMiss-
devour; eat
word
breath; mind; life; soul
live; life
sleep
sleep
walk
move
send
Latin Roots Vocabulary list # 12
Latin Root
CordCapitPedManuAurAudOculDigitCorpor-
heart
head
foot
hand
ear
hear
eye
finger, toe
body
Latin Roots Vocabulary list # 13
Root word
Carn
Ject
Gust
Morb
Mort
Sens
Sangui
Sap
Tang
flesh
throw
taste
illness; disease
death
feel
blood
taste; know
touch; grasp
Latin Roots Vocabulary list #14
Latin root
Equ
equal, fair, even
Cap
take, seize, hold contain
Cert
distinguish, decide, separate
Fig
form, shape, image
Fact
do, make, cause
Gest
bear, carry
Divis
separate
Palp
feel, touch
Tac
silent
Derivative
Voracious- devouring large quantities of food
Verbal- of, in, or by means of words
Animation- vivacity; brisk, lively quality
Vital- necessary or essential to life
Dormitory a building with sleeping accommodation for a number of
people
Insomnia- abnormally prolonged inability to sleep
Ambulatory- able to walk and not confide to a bed
Motivate- to incite or impel
Emissary – a person or agent sent on a specific mission
Derivative
Cordial- warm and friendly
Decapitate- to cut off the head
Biped- any two-footed animal
Manual- made, worked, or used by the hands
Aural- received through the ear
Audible- loud enough to be heard
Binoculars- for the use of both eyes at the same time
Digital- performed with the finger
Corporation- a group of people legally authorized to act as an
individual
derivative
Carnage: the flesh of slain animals or men
Eject: to drive out especially by force
Gustatory: associated with the sense of taste
Morbid: relating to or characteristic of disease
Mortality: the quality of state of being a human being
Resent: to feel or express annoyance or ill will at
Sanguinary: attended by bloodshed
Sapient: possessing or expressing great knowledge
Tangent: meeting or curve or surface in a single point
Derivative
Adequate: sufficient for a specific requirement
Captive: taken and held as prisoner especially in war
Certify: to attest authoritatively; confirm
Disfigure: to impair by deep and persistent injuries
Factory: a building or set of buildings with facilities for
manufacturing
Gestation: Conception and development especially in the mind
Indivisible: unable to be divided
Palpable: capable of being touched or felt
Tactic: expressed or carried on without words or speech