The following is from http://meriko2.tripod.com/roots.htm
Below is a selection of Latin roots that should help you win at Scrabble, ace Grad School Boards, and look like an erudite poser at cocktail parties.
Latin Root(s) | Definition(s) | Example(s) of Root(s) | |
| acerbus, acris, acuere | sharp, to sharpen, needle, bitter | acerbate, acupuncture, acuity, acrimony | |
| aequare | to make equal, even | equivocate, adequate, equilibrium | |
| aevum | age | coeval, medieval | |
| ager, agri, agro | field | agrestic, agronomy | |
| agere, actum, agitare | to act, to do | agility, react, agitate | |
| alius | other, else | alias, alienate | |
| alter | other | altercation, adulterate | |
| altus | high | altimeter, exaltation, alto | |
| ambulare | to walk, to go | preamble, ambulatory | |
| amare, amor, amatum, amicus | to love, love, friend | amateur, amiable, enamored | |
| anima | life, soul, breath, mind | animosity, inanimate, unanimous | |
| annus | year | biennial, centennial, annual | |
| apparere | to come forth, be visible | apparent, appearance, apparitor | |
| aptare, aptus, apere | to fit, suitable | aptitude, adaptable, ineptitude | |
| aqua | water | aqueous, aquarelle | |
| arbiter | judge | arbitration, arbitrary | |
| arbor | tree | arboretum, arboreal | |
| ardere | to burn | arduous, ardor | |
| artis | art | artifice, artifact, artisan | |
| audire | to hear | audit, audible | |
| augere | to increase | augmentation, augur, august | |
| avis | bird | avionics, aviation, aviary, avian | |
| beatus | blessed, happy | beatific, beatitude | |
| bellare, bellum | to wage war, war | rebellious, bellicose | |
| bene | well | benevolence, beneficent | |
| bonus, bon | good | bonanza, bonny, bon voyage | |
| brevis | short, brief | abbreviate, breviary | |
| cadere | fall | recidivism, cascade, cadaver, decadent | |
| caedere, cide | to cut, kill | incision, pesticide | |
| canere, cantare, cantus | to sing | recant, chant, cantata | |
| capere, captum, cip, cept | to take, hold, contain | capacious, incipient, intercept participate, capable, captive, conceive, precept | |
| caput, capitis | head | cape, chapter, biceps, capital | |
| carnis | flesh | carnal, carnival, incarnate, carnivore | |
| cavare, cavus | to make hollow | cavernous, cavity, excavate | |
| cedere, cessum | to go, withdraw, move | concession, recede, access | |
| centrum | center | eccentric, concentric, concentrate | |
| centum, centi | hundred, tenth, ten | percent, centimeter, centurion | |
| cernere, certus | to see as being different, to sift, distinguish | discern, secret, certitude | |
| civis, civilis | citizen, community | civic, city, civility | |
| clamare, clamor | to shout, cry out acclaim, clear, to make clear | reclamation clarare, clarus, clarify, clarity, declaration, claret | |
| claudere, clausum | to shut, close | recluse, cloister, enclosure, conclusion | |
| clemens | mild, merciful | clemency, inclement | |
| clinare | to lean, slope | clinometer, incline | |
| colare | to strain, filter | portcullis, percolate, colander | |
| colere, cultus | to till, care, cultivate | cultivation, culture, cult | |
| coquere, coctum | to cook, to mature | precocious, concoction, cook | |
| cor, cordis | heart | courage, cordial, accord | |
| corium | skin, hide | excoriate | |
| corona | crown | corona, coronation, coronary | |
| corpus | body | corporation, corporeal | |
| credere, credens | to believe, trust | credentials, credit, incredible | |
| crescere, cretum | to grow | crescendo, concretism, accretion, increase | |
| crimen | crime, offense | criminology, incriminate | |
| cruciare, crux, crucis | to torture, cross | excruciating, crusade, cruzeiro | |
| culpare | to blame, fault | culpable, exculpate | |
| cumulare | to heap up | cumulative, accumulate | |
| curare, cura, curatus | to take care of, concern | curate, curious, manicure | |
| currere, cursus, cour | to run, go | occur, precursor, concur, course | |
| dens, dentis | tooth | denture, endodontia, dentifrice | |
| deus, dei | god | deify, deity, deism | |
| dexter, dextro | right, right hand | ambidextrous, dextrorotation | |
| dicere, dictare | to speak, say | abdicate, indict | |
| dignus | worthy, fitting, suitable | condign, dignitary | |
| dirigere, directus | to direct | dirge, dirigible, address-- -- -- -- --see "regere" below | |
| docere, doctum | to teach | document, docent, doctrine | |
| dominus | lord, master | danger, domineer | |
| domus | a dwelling, home | domesticity, major-domo | |
| donare, do | to give, to forgive | condone, donation, donor | |
| dormire, dorm | to sleep | dormouse, dormitory | |
| ducere, ductum | to lead, take, bring | abduct, seduction, conducive, duke, education | |
| durare, durus | to harden, hard | obdurate, duress | |
| errare, erratum | to wander, go astray | aberration, err, erratic | |
| fabula | story | confabulate, fable, fabulous | |
| facere, factum, fect, fic | to make, to do | manufacture, sufficient, facsimile | |
| fallere | to deceive, disappoint | fallacious, infallible, fail | |
| ferre, latum | to bear, to carry | relate, confer, referendum | |
| ferrum | iron | ferrotype, ferric, ferrous | |
| fervere | to boil, glow, rage | fervor, effervescent | |
| fidere, fidelis, fides | to trust, believe, faith | perfidy, fiduciary, confidant | |
| filius, filia | son, daughter (respectively) | filial, affiliation | |
| finire, finis, fin | to end, to limit | infinity, finite, confinement | |
| firmare | to make firm, strengthen | affirm, confirmation, firmament | |
| figare, fixus | to fasten, attach | fixative, crucifix, suffix | |
| flare, flatus | blow | deflate, inflation | |
| flectere, flexus | to bend | flexible, deflection, inflection | |
| fluere, fluxum, fluctus | to flow | confluence, fluid, effluvium, influx, flume | |
| foedus, fed | league | confederacy, federation | |
| fortis | strong | fort, comfort, fortify, force | |
| frangere, fractum | to break | fraction, frangible, infringement | |
| frater | brother | fraternal, fraternize | |
| fugere, fugitum | to flee | centrifugal, fugue | |
| fumus | smoke | fumitory, fumarole | |
| fundere, fusum | to pour | refund, diffuse, profound | |
| generare, genus1 | birth, origin, race, species, kind, to beget, produce | generous, generic, gentle, genre, engender, generation | |
| gerere, gestum | to carry, to bear | belligerent, gesture, digest, gestation | |
| glomerare | to form into a ball | conglomeration, glomerulus | |
| gnoscere, cognoscere, gnarus, cognitum | to know | incognito, cognition, ignorant, gnostic | |
| gradi, gressus, gradus | to step, to walk, a degree | progress, graduate, centigrade | |
| granum, grani | seed, kernel | granary, granule | |
| gratia, gratus | agreeable, favor, thanks | congratulate, gratitude, grace | |
| gravare, gravis | to weigh down, heavy | aggravate, gravamen, gravid, grief | |
| grex, gregis, gregar | flock, herd, to gather into a flock | segregate, congregation gregarious | |
| habere, habitum | to have, hold | habit, inhibit | |
| haerere | to stick | coherence, adhere | |
| herba | grass, herb | herbivorous, herbaceous | |
| hilarare, hilaris | to gladden, merry | hilarious, exhilarate | |
| homo | man | homicidal, hominize | |
| horrere | to shudder, terrible | horrendous, abhor | |
| hospes | guest, host | hospice, hostage, hostess | |
| ire, itum, itineris | to go, journey, walk | itinerant, transit, initiate | |
| jacere, ject, jactum2 | to lie, cast oneself down, to throw | reject, adjacent, eject | |
| jicere2 | to throw between | interjection | |
| judex, judicare | judge | judicious, prejudice, judge | |
| jungere, junctum | to join | conjugal, junction, joint | |
| jus, juris, jurare | law, right, to swear | jurisprudence, abjure, perjury, juror, injury, justify | |
| juvenis | young | rejuvenate, juvenescent | |
| laborare | to work | collaborate, elaborate, laboratory | |
| lacto, lact | milk | lacteal, lactose | |
| lapis | stone | lapis lazuli, lapidate | |
| latus | side | lateral, bilateral, collateral | |
| laudare, laudatum | to praise, glory | laudable, allow | |
| lavare | to wash | lavender, laver, lavish, lavabo | |
| laxare | to loosen, widen | relax, laxity | |
| legere, lectum3 | to read, choose, gather | elegant, elite, collect, dialect, legend, select, election,neglect | |
| lex, legis, legalis3 | law | privelege, illegitimate, legislature, lex non scripta, legal | |
| liber | book | libel, libretto | |
| liber | free | libertine, deliberate, liberal | |
| ligare | to bind | allegiance, ally, oblige, ligature | |
| lingua | tongue, language | linguistics, lingual, language | |
| littera | letter | obliterate, literature, letter, literati | |
| locare, locus | to place, place | dislocate, allocate, local | |
| loqui, locutus | speak, talk | soliloquy, loquacious, circumlocution | |
| lucere, lux, lucis, lumen | to shine, light | translucent, Lucifer, luminous | |
| ludere, lusum, ludus | to play, to mock | illusion, interlude, ludicrous | |
| luna | moon | lunate, lunatic, lunation, lunula | |
| magnus, magna | great | magnanimous, Magna Carta | |
| malus, mal | bad, evil, wrong | malevolent, malfeasance, grand mal | |
| mandare, mando | to order, to command | mandate, commandment, mandarin | |
| manus, mani, man | hand | emancipate, manifest, manumit | |
| mare | sea | mariner, aquamarine, mare | |
| mater | mother | alma mater, maternity | |
| mecari | to trade, buy | merchant, market | |
| medius, medio | middle | medieval, intermediary | |
| mens | mind | mention, mentation | |
| migrare | to move from one place to another | migratory, emigrant | |
| militare | to serve as soldiers | demilitarize, militia | |
| mille | thousand | millennium, millivolt | |
| minimus, minor | least, small | minimal, minimize, minute | |
| mirare, miror, mirari | to look at, to wonder at | miracle, mirage, admiral | |
| mittere, missum | to send, let, go | emissary, remit, admittance, commissary | |
| monere, monitus | to warn | monitor, admonition | |
| morbus | disease | morbid, morbilli | |
| mordere, morsun | to bite | morsel, remorse, mordacious | |
| moris | manners, customs | morality, mores | |
| mors, mortis, mori | deather, to die | post-mortem, mortgage, mortmain | |
| movere, motus | to move | locomotive, motion, motor | |
| multus | much, many | multiply, multimedia | |
| mutare, mutatum | to change | molt, mutation | |
| nascor, natus | to bear, to born | native, prenatal, nature, renaissance | |
| negare, negatus | to deny | negation, abnegate | |
| nihil | nothing | annihilate, nil | |
| nocere | to harm, injure | innocent, innocuous, obnoxious | |
| nominare, nomen, nominis | to name, name | nominate, misnomer, nomenclature | |
| norma | rule | normative, enormity | |
| notare | to mark, note | notation, notary, connotation | |
| novus | new | renovate, novice, nova | |
| nox, noct | night | equinox, noctuid | |
| nullus | none | annul, nullifidian | |
| numerus | number | enumerate, supernumerary, numerology | |
| nuntiare, nuntius | to report, tell, messenger | nuncio, renounce | |
| oculus | eye | monocle, binocular | |
| opus, operari | work, to work | magnum opus, opera, operative | |
| parare, par, pari | to make equal, equal | disparate, parity, peer | |
| passus, pati | suffer | patient, passive | |
| pater | father | paternoster, patronize | |
| pax, pacis | peace | pacific, appease | |
| pedis, pes | foot | expedition, pedicel | |
| pellere, pulsus | to drive, driven | compel, expel, propellant, pulsate | |
| pendere, pensare, pendulus | to weigh, hang, weight | impending, compendium, appendage, expenditure | |
| petere | to rush at, seek | impetuous, petulant, petition | |
| placare, placidus, placere | to soother, gentle, to please | placate, implacable, placebo, please | |
| plaudere, plauseum | to clap, applaud | plaudit, implode | |
| plenus | full | plenipotentiary, replenish, plenty | |
| plere, pletum | to fill | expletive, replete | |
| plicare, plicatum, plicit, ply | to fold | reply, implicate, complicate, explicate, plait | |
| plus, pluris | more | pluriaxial, plurality, surplus | |
| ponere, positum | to place | position, opposite, depot | |
| populus | people | popularity, populace | |
| portare, port | to carry | portage, export | |
| portio | share, portion | apportion, proportion | |
| potens, potentis | powerful | potentate, potentiometer | |
| prehendere, prehensum | to seize, take hold | apprentice, reprehensible | |
| pressus | pressed down | depress, oppress, impress | |
| pretiare, prec | to value | depreciation, precious, price | |
| primus, primatis | first | primordial, prima facie | |
| privare | separate, peculiar | privilege, deprive | |
| probare, probatum | to prove, test | probation, prove | |
| proximus | nearest | approximate, proximity | |
| pugil, pugnare | boxer, to fight | repugnant, pugilist | |
*
| to clean | purge, purgatory, expurgation | |
| putare | to think, estimate | computer, reputation | |
| quaerere, quaesitus | to ask, seek | exquisite, inquisition, conquer, quest | |
| radius | ray | radiation, radian | |
| radix | root | radicle, radical, eradicate | |
| rapere | to seize | rapture, surreptitious, usurp, ravish | |
| ratus | fixed by calculation | reason, ration | |
| regere, rectus4 | right, to make straight | erect, rectitude, rectus | |
| regere, rex, regis4 | to rule, king | regency, regal, corrigible, regimen, direct, rule, regular | |
| ridere, risum | to laugh | derision, redicule | |
| rogare, rogatum | to ask | arrogance, rogation, interrogate | |
| rotare, rotatus, rota | to turn, wheel, turned | rotation, rotary, rotor | |
| rumpere, ruptus | to break, broken | rupture, interrupt | |
| sacer, sacrare5 | holy, to make holy | consecrate, sacrifice, sacrarium | |
| sagax, sagacis, sapare | wise, to taste, know | sage, sagacious, sapient | |
| sal | salt | salimeter, saline | |
| salire, saltum | to leap, jump | sally, saltatory, resile, result | |
| salvare | to save | save, salvation, salvage | |
| sanctus5 | holy | sanctity, sanctuary, sacrosanct | |
| sanguis | blood | sangria, sanguine, consanguinity | |
| sanitas, sanatorius | health, healthy | sanitation, sanitarium | |
| satis, satiare | enough, to fill full | sated, insatiable, satisfaction | |
| scandere | to climb | ascend, descendant, ascension | |
| scire, sciens | to know, knowing | omniscient, science | |
| scribere, script | to write, the thing written | describe, subscription, scribe | |
| secare, sect | to cut | intersection, secateurs | |
| sedere, sess | to sit | sediment, sedan, session, president | |
| seminare, semen | to sow, seed | seminal, disseminate, seminary | |
| sentire, sensum | to feel, perceive | consent, sensible, sentient | |
| sepsis | putrefaction, poison | septic, septicemia, aseptic | |
| sequens, sequi | to follow, following | prosecute, second, sequential, pursue, non sequitur | |
| signare, signum | to mark out | assignation, consignment | |
| similare, simulare | to make like, to feign | similar, facsimile, simulation, assimilate | |
| socius, sociare | companion, to join | social, society, association | |
| sol | sun | solar, solstice | |
| solare, solus | to make lonely, alone | solo, solitary | |
| solvere, solutum | to loose | solvent, dissolute, soluble | |
| somnus | sleep | somnolent, somniloquy | |
| sonus | sound | dissonance, unison, sonorous | |
| sors, sortis | lot, a share | sort, consortium | |
| specere, spectum, spic | to look at, see | perspicacity, specify, spectacle, retrospect, prospect, perspective | |
| spirare | to breathe | spirit, aspirator, expire, inspiration, respiration, aspire | |
| spondere, sponsus | to pledge, promise | spouse, correspondence | |
| stare, stet, stat | to stand | stable, establish, statue, superstition, distant | |
| stellare, stella | to shine, star | constellation, stelliferous | |
| stringere, strictum | bind, draw tight | astringent, constriction, strict | |
| struere, structus | build, arrange, pile up | misconstrue, instruct, instrument | |
| surgere, surrection | to rise, risen | insurgency, resurrection | |
| tangere, tactus | to touch | tangent, tactual | |
| tegere, tectus | to cover, covered | integument, detection, protect | |
| temperare, tempus | time | tense, contemporize, temper | |
| tendere, tent | to stretch, strain, thin | pretentious, tenuous, contend, tend, tense | |
| tenere, tain | to hold | pertain, abstinence, tenacious, tenant | |
| tentare, tent | to touch, try | tentacle, tentatively | |
| terminus | limit, end, boundary | determine, terminator | |
| terra | earth | terra firma, terrace | |
| torquere, tortum | to twist, twisted | contortionist, extort, torsion, torque | |
| tradere | to deliver | extradite, tradition, treason | |
| trahere, tract | to draw, drawn | subtract, tractable, protract | |
| tribuere, tributus, tribus | to assign, allot, pay | tributary, attribute, distribute | |
| trudere, trusus | to thrust, thrust | intrusion, protrusile | |
| toxicare, toxicum | to smear with poison | toxic, toxoplasmosis, toxicology | |
| tumere | to swell | tumescence, tumult, contumelious | |
| turbare, turba | to disturb | perturb, turbid | |
| unus, uni | one | union, unipetalous | |
| urbs, urbanus | city | exurb, urbanologist | |
| vacare, vacuus | to be empty, empty | vacuity, vacuous, evacuate | |
| vagari | to wander | extravagant, vagaries | |
| valere, validum | to be strong, to have worth | valor, valid, evaluate | |
| velle, volens | wish, willing | volition, velleity | |
| verbum | word | proverb, verbatim | |
| venire, ventum | to come | revenue, convention, advent, contravene | |
| vertere, versum | to turn, change, incline | vertigo, verse, introvert, versatile, anniversary | |
| verus | TRUE | verily, verify, very | |
| vestire | to dress | vestment, divest, investiture | |
| via | way | pervious, viaticum | |
| videre, visum | see, look, provide | provident, visible, supervise | |
| vincere | to overcome, conquer | invincible, convince, victor | |
| violare, violatus | to violate | violation, inviolate | |
| vir | man | triumvirate, virago | |
| vita | life | vitality, vitamin | |
| vivere, vita | to live, life | revive, viviparous, vonvivial | |
| vocare, vocatum, vox | to call, voice | vociferous, convocation, irrevocable, revoke | |
| volvere, volutum | turn | involve, revolt, devolve | |
| vorare | to devour | voracious, carnivore, omnivorous |