SAT CRITICAL READING
PART 5
BUILDING YOUR VOCABULARY
Basic Word Parts
Common Roots and Stems
Roots are basic word elements that have been carried over into English. Stems are variations of roots brought about by changes in declension or conjugation.
Root or Stem |
Meaning |
Illustration |
ac, acr |
sharp |
acrimonious bitter; caustic acerbity bitterness of temper acidulate to make somewhat acid or sour |
aev, ev |
age, era |
primeval of the first age coeval of the same age or era medieval or mediaeval of the middle ages |
ag, act |
do |
act deed agent doer |
agog |
leader |
demagogue false leader of people pedagogue teacher (leader of children) |
agri, agrari |
field |
agrarian one who works in the field agriculture cultivation of fields peregrination wandering (through fields) |
ali |
another |
alias assumed (another) name alienate estrange (turn away from another) |
alt |
high |
altitude height altimeter instrument for measuring height |
alter |
other |
altruistic unselfish, considering others alter ego a second self |
am |
love |
amorous loving, especially sexually amity friendship amicable friendly |
anim |
mind, soul |
animadvert cast criticism upon unanimous of one mind magnanimity greatness of mind or spirit |
ann, enn |
year |
annuity yearly remittance biennial every two years perennial present all year; persisting for several years |
anthrop |
man |
anthropology study of man misanthrope hater of mankind philanthropy love of mankind; charity |
apt |
fit |
aptitude skill adapt make suitable or fit |
aqua |
water |
aqueduct passageway for conducting water aquatic living in water |
arch |
ruler, first |
archaeology study of antiquities (study of first things) monarch sole ruler anarchy lack of government |
aster |
star |
astronomy study of the stars asterisk star-like type character (*) disaster catastrophe (contrary star) |
aud, audit |
hear |
audible able to be heard auditorium place where people may be heard audience hearers |
auto |
self |
autocracy rule by one person (self) automobile vehicle that moves by itself autobiography story of one’s own life |
belli |
war |
bellicose inclined to fight belligerent inclined to wage war rebellious resisting authority |
ben, bon |
good |
benefactor one who does good deeds benevolence charity (wishing good) bonus something extra above regular pay |
biblio |
book |
bibliography list of books bibliophile lover of books Bible The Book |
bio |
life |
biography writing about a person’s life biology study of living things biochemist student of the chemistry of living things |
breve |
short |
brevity briefness abbreviate shorten |
cad, cas |
to fall |
decadent deteriorating cadence intonation, musical movement cascade waterfall |
cap (capt, cept, cip) |
to take |
capture seize participate take part precept wise saying (originally a command) |
capit, capt |
head |
decapitate remove (cut off) someone’s head captain chief |
carn |
flesh |
carnivorous flesh-eating carnage destruction of life carnal fleshly |
ced, cess |
to yield, to go |
recede go back, withdraw antecedent that which goes before process go forward |
celer |
swift |
celerity swiftness decelerate reduce swiftness accelerate increase swiftness |
cent |
one hundred |
century one hundred years centennial hundredth anniversary centipede many-footed, wingless animal |
chron |
time |
chronology timetable of events anachronism a thing out of time sequence chronicle register events in order of time |
cid, cis |
to cut, to kill |
incision a cut (surgical) homicide killing of a man fratricide killing of a brother |
cit, citat |
to call, to start |
incite stir up, start up excite stir up recitation a recalling (or repeating) aloud |
civi |
citizen |
civilization society of citizens, culture civilian member of community civil courteous |
clam, clamat |
to cry out |
clamorous loud declamation speech acclamation shouted approval |
claud (claus, clos, clud) |
to close |
claustrophobia fear of close places enclose close in conclude finish |
cognosc, cognit |
to learn |
agnostic lacking knowledge, skeptical incognito traveling under assumed name cognition knowledge |
cord |
heart |
accord agreement (from the heart) cordial friendly discord lack of harmony |
corpor |
body |
incorporate organize into a body corporeal pertaining to the body, fleshly corpse dead body |
cred, credit |
to believe |
incredulous not believing, skeptical credulity gullibility credence belief |
cur |
to care |
curator person who has the care of something sinecure position without responsibility secure safe |
curr, curs |
to run |
excursion journey cursory brief precursor forerunner |
deb, debit |
to owe |
debt something owed indebtedness debt debenture bond |
dem |
people |
democracy rule of the people demagogue (false) leader of the people epidemic widespread (among the people) |
derm |
skin |
epidermis skin pachyderm thick-skinned quadruped dermatology study of skin and its disorders |
di, diurn |
day |
diary a daily record of activities, feelings, etc. diurnal pertaining to daytime |
dic, dict |
to say |
abdicate renounce diction speech verdict statement of jury |
doc, doct |
to teach |
docile obedient; easily taught document something that provides evidence doctor learned person (originally, teacher) |
domin |
to rule |
dominate have power over domain land under rule dominant prevailing |
duc, duct |
to lead |
viaduct arched roadway aqueduct artificial waterway |
dynam |
power, strength |
dynamic powerful dynamite powerful explosive dynamo engine making electrical power |
ego |
I |
egoist person who is self-interested egotist selfish person egocentric revolving about self |
erg, urg |
work |
energy power metallurgy science and technology of metals |
err |
to wander |
error mistake erratic not reliable, wandering knight-errant wandering knight |
eu |
good, well, beautiful |
eulogize praise euphemism substitution of pleasant way of saying something blunt |
fall, fals |
to deceive |
fallacious misleading infallible not prone to error, perfect falsify lie |
fer, lat |
to bring, to bear |
transfer bring from one place to another translate bring from one language to another conifer bearing cones, as pine trees |
fid |
belief, faith |
infidel nonbeliever, heathen confidence assurance, belief |
fin |
end, limit |
confine keep within limits finite having definite limits |
flect, flex |
bend |
flexible able to bend deflect bend away, turn aside |
fort |
luck, chance |
fortuitous accidental, occurring by chance fortunate lucky |
fort |
strong |
fortitude strength, firmness of mind fortification strengthening fortress stronghold |
frag, fract |
break |
fragile easily broken infraction breaking of a rule fractious unruly, tending to break rules |
fug |
flee |
fugitive someone who flees refuge shelter, home for someone fleeing |
fus |
pour |
effusive gushing, pouring out diffuse widespread (poured in many directions) |
gam |
marriage |
monogamy marriage to one person bigamy marriage to two people at the same time polygamy having many wives or husbands at the same time |
gen, gener |
class, race |
genus group of animals with similar traits generic characteristic of a class gender class organized by sex |
grad, gress |
go, step |
digress go astray (from the main point) regress go backwards gradual step by step, by degrees |
graph, gram |
writing |
epigram pithy statement telegram instantaneous message over great distance stenography shorthand (writing narrowly) |
greg |
flock, herd |
gregarious tending to group together as in a herd aggregate group, total egregious conspicuously bad; shocking |
it, itiner |
journey, road |
exit way out itinerary plan of journey |
jac (jact, jec) |
to throw |
projectile missile; something thrown forward trajectory path taken by thrown object ejaculatory casting or throwing out |
jur, jurat |
to swear |
perjure testify falsely jury group of men and women sworn to seek the truth |
labor, laborat |
to work |
laboratory place where work is done collaborate work together with others laborious difficult |
leg (lect, lig) |
to choose, to read |
election choice legible able to be read eligible able to be selected |
leg |
law |
legislature law-making body legitimate lawful legal lawful |
liber, libr |
book |
library collection of books libretto the “book” of a musical play libel slander (originally found in a little book) |
liber |
free |
liberation the fact of setting free liberal generous (giving freely); tolerant |
log |
word, study |
entomology study of insects etymology study of word parts and derivations monologue speech by one person |
loqu, locut |
to talk |
soliloquy speech by one individual loquacious talkative elocution speech |
luc |
light |
elucidate enlighten lucid clear translucent allowing some light to pass through |
magn |
great |
magnify enlarge magnanimity generosity, greatness of soul magnitude greatness, extent |
mal |
bad |
malevolent wishing evil malediction curse malefactor evil-doer |
man |
hand |
manufacture create (make by hand) manuscript written by hand emancipate free (let go from the hand) |
mar |
sea |
maritime connected with seafaring submarine undersea craft mariner seaman |
mater, matr |
mother |
maternal pertaining to motherhood matriarch female ruler of a family, group, or state matrilineal descended on the mother’s side |
mit, miss |
to send |
missile projectile dismiss send away transmit send across |
mob (mot, mov) |
move |
mobilize cause to move motility ability to move immovable not able to be moved |
mon, monit |
to warn |
admonish warn premonition foreboding monitor watcher (warner) |
mori, mort |
to die |
mortuary funeral parlor moribund dying immortal not dying |
morph |
shape, form |
amorphous formless, lacking shape metamorphosis change of shape anthropomorphic in the shape of man |
mut |
change |
immutable not able to be changed mutate undergo a great change mutability changeableness, inconstancy |
nat |
born |
innate from birth prenatal before birth nativity birth |
nav |
ship |
navigate sail a ship circumnavigate sail around the world naval pertaining to ships |
neg |
deny |
negation denial renege deny, go back on one’s word renegade turncoat, traitor |
nomen, nomin |
name |
nomenclature act of naming, terminology nominal in name only (as opposed to actual) cognomen surname, distinguishing nickname |
nov |
new |
novice beginner renovate make new again novelty newness |
omni |
all |
omniscient all knowing omnipotent all powerful omnivorous eating everything |
oper |
to work |
operate work cooperation working together |
pac |
peace |
pacify make peaceful pacific peaceful pacifist person opposed to war |
pass |
feel |
dispassionate free of emotion impassioned emotion-filled impassive showing no feeling |
pater, patr |
father |
patriotism love of one’s country (fatherland) patriarch male ruler of a family, group, or state paternity fatherhood |
path |
disease, feeling |
pathology study of diseased tissue apathetic lacking feeling; indifferent antipathy hostile feeling |
ped, pod |
foot |
impediment stumbling block; hindrance tripod three-footed stand quadruped four-footed animal |
ped |
child |
pedagogue teacher of children pediatrician children’s doctor |
pel, puls |
to drive |
compulsion a forcing to do repel drive back expel drive out, banish |
pet, petit |
to seek |
petition request appetite craving, desire compete vie with others |
phil |
love |
philanthropist benefactor, lover of humanity Anglophile lover of everything English philanderer one involved in brief love affairs |
pon, posit |
to place |
postpone place after positive definite, unquestioned (definitely placed) |
port, portat |
to carry |
portable able to be carried transport carry across export carry out (of country) |
poten |
able, powerful |
omnipotent all-powerful potentate powerful person impotent powerless |
psych |
mind |
psychology study of the mind psychosis mental disorder psychopath mentally ill person |
put, putat |
to trim, to calculate |
putative supposed (calculated) computation calculation amputate cut off |
quer (ques, quir, quis) |
to ask |
inquiry investigation inquisitive questioning query question |
reg, rect |
rule |
regicide murder of a ruler regent ruler insurrection rebellion; overthrow of a ruler |
rid, ris |
to laugh |
derision scorn ridiculous deserving to be laughed at |
rog, rogat |
to ask |
interrogate question prerogative privilege |
rupt |
to break |
interrupt break into bankrupt insolvent rupture a break |
sacr |
holy |
sacred holy sacrilegious impious, violating something holy sacrament religious act |
sci |
to know |
science knowledge omniscient knowing all conscious aware |
scop |
watch, see |
periscope device for seeing around corners microscope device for seeing small objects |
scrib, script |
to write |
transcribe make a written copy script written text circumscribe write around, limit |
sect |
cut |
dissect cut apart bisect cut into two pieces |
sed, sess |
to sit |
sedentary inactive (sitting) session meeting |
sent, sens |
to think, to feel |
consent agree resent show indignation sensitive showing feeling |
sequi (secut, seque) |
to follow |
consecutive following in order sequence arrangement sequel that which follows non sequitur something that does not follow logically |
solv, solut |
to loosen |
absolve free from blame dissolute morally lax absolute complete (not loosened) |
somn |
sleep |
insomnia inability to sleep somnolent sleepy somnambulist sleepwalker |
soph |
wisdom |
philosopher lover of wisdom sophisticated worldly wise |
spec, spect |
to look at |
spectator observer aspect appearance circumspect cautious (looking around) |
spir |
breathe |
respiratory pertaining to breathing spirited full of life (breath) |
string, strict |
bind |
stringent strict constrict become tight stricture limit, something that restrains |
stru, struct |
build |
constructive helping to build construe analyze (how something is built) |
tang (tact, ting) |
to touch |
tangent touching contact touching with, meeting contingent depending upon |
tempor |
time |
contemporary at same time extemporaneous impromptu temporize delay |
ten, tent |
to hold |
tenable able to be held tenure holding of office retentive holding; having a good memory |
term |
end |
interminable endless terminate end |
terr |
land |
terrestrial pertaining to earth subterranean underground |
therm |
heat |
thermostat instrument that regulates heat diathermy sending heat through body tissues |
tors, tort |
twist |
distort twist out of true shape or meaning torsion act of twisting tortuous twisting |
tract |
drag, pull |
distract pull (one’s attention) away intractable stubborn, unable to be dragged attraction pull, drawing quality |
trud, trus |
push, shove |
intrude push one’s way in protrusion something sticking out |
urb |
city |
urban pertaining to a city urbane polished, sophisticated (pertaining to a city dweller) suburban outside of a city |
vac |
empty |
vacuous lacking content, empty-headed evacuate compel to empty an area |
vad, vas |
go |
invade enter in a hostile fashion evasive not frank; eluding |
veni (vent, ven) |
to come |
intervene come between prevent stop convention meeting |
ver |
true |
veracious truthful verify check the truth verisimilitude appearance of truth |
verb |
word |
verbose wordy verbiage excessive use of words verbatim word for word |
vers, vert |
turn |
vertigo turning dizzy revert turn back (to an earlier state) diversion something causing one to turn aside |
via |
way |
deviation departure from the way viaduct roadway (arched) trivial trifling (small talk at crossroads) |
vid, vis |
to see |
vision sight evidence things seen vista view |
vinc (vict, vanq) |
to conquer |
invincible unconquerable victory winning vanquish defeat |
viv, vit |
alive |
vivisection operating on living animals vivacious full of life vitality liveliness |
voc, vocat |
to call |
avocation calling, minor occupation provocation calling or rousing the anger of invocation calling in prayer |
vol |
wish |
malevolent wishing someone ill voluntary of one’s own will |
volv, volut |
to roll |
revolve roll around evolve roll out, develop convolution coiled state |