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Word Roots and Prefixes
These Greek and Latin word roots and prefixes form parts of many English words today.
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Root
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Meaning
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Words
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aer, aero
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air
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aerial, aerate, aerobic, aerodynamic, aeronautical
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ambi, amphi
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both
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ambiguous, ambivalent, ambidextrous, amphibian
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amo
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love
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amorous, amiable, paramour
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andro
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male
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androgynous, android
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anthrop
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human, humankind
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anthropology, misanthrope, philanthropy
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aqua, aque
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water
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aquatic, aquarium, aqueduct, aqueous
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aud
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hear
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audible, audience, audit, auditory
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bene
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good, well
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benefit, benefactor, benevolent
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bio
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life
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biology, biography, amphibious, antibiotic
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chron
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time
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chronic, chronological, anachronism, synchronize
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cid
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kill
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homicide, genocide, suicide, patricide, pesticide
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cogn
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know, knowledge
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cognitive, cognition, recognize, incognito
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con, com
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with, together
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combine, commerce, convene, conjoin, concomitant
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corp
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body
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corporeal, corpse, incorporate
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cred
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believe, belief
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creed, credible, credence, incredible, incredulous
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cyclo
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circle, around
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cycle, cyclone, bicycle, encyclopedia
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dict
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speak, speech
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dictate, dictionary, predict, contradict, verdict
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flu, flux
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flow
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fluid, fluctuate, mellifluous, flux, influx
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gen
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birth, beginning
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generation, genesis, regeneration, genital, gene
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graph
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written, drawn
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graphic, autograph, biography, monograph
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gyn
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female
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gynecology, misogynist, androgynous
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hetero
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different
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heterogeneous, heterosexual
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homo
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same
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homogeneous, homonym, homosexual, homophone
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lat
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side
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lateral, unilateral, translate, latitude
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leg, log, logo
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word, study, thought
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logic, logo, legend, legible, analogy, biology
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locu, loqu
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speak, talk
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loquacious, locution, eloquent, grandiloquence
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luc, lum
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light, clarity
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lucid, elucidate, translucent, luminous, illuminate
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mal
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bad, evil
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malicious, malady, malevolent, malediction, malpractice
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manu
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hand
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manual, manufacture, manuscript
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mater, matr
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mother
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matron, matrimony, matriarch, matrilineal, matricide
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med, mid
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middle, between
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mediate, medium, median, intermediate
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met
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measure
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metric, perimeter, thermometer, symmetry
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mis
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hate
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misanthrope, misogynist
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mor, mori
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death
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mortality, mortuary, morbid, moribund
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moti, moto, mobi
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move, motion
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motivate, motor, motility, mobile
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nat
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birth
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native, natural, nation, prenatal, renaissance
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nom, nym
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name
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nominate, nomenclature, pseudonym, patronymic
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pater, patr
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father
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paternal, patriarch, patriotic, patrilineal, expatriate
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ped
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teach, child
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pediatric, pedagogy, pedantic, encyclopedia
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ped, pod
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foot
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pedal, pedestrian, podiatry, tripod
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per
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through
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persuade, permeate, pervade, impervious
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phil
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love
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philosophy, philanthropy, philology, bibliophile
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phon
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sound
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phonics, cacophony, symphony, telephone, homophone
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port
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carry
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portable, porter, deport, import, rapport, transport
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prim
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first
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prime, primary, primitive, primate, primordial
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sanct
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holy, sacred
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sanctify, sanctuary, sacrosanct
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sci
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know, knowledge
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science, omniscient, prescient
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scrib, script
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write
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scribe, inscription, prescribe, describe, scribble
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sec, seg
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cut, split
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section, sectarian, dissect, segment
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somn
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sleep
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somnolent, insomnia
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soph
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wisdom
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sophistry, sophomore, philosophy
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spect
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look
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spectacle, prospect, retrospect, aspect, inspect
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sym, syn
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together
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sympathy, symbiotic, symmetrical, synchronize
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temp
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time
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temporary, tempo, contemporary, extemporaneous
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therm
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heat
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thermal, thermometer, hypothermia
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tract
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drag, draw
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traction, tractor, attract, protract, detract,
intractable
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vac
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empty
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vacant, vacuous, vacuum
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vert, vers
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turn
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extrovert, introvert, vertex
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vid, vis
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see, sight
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visible, vision, visual, evident, video
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viv, viva
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life, live
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vivacious, vivid, revive, vivisection
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voc
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call
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vocal, vocation, provocation, invocation, voice
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Prefix
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Meanings
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Words
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a–, an–
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not, without
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amoral, apolitical, asymmetrical, atypical, anarchy
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ante–
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before, in front
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anterior, antecedent, antebellum, antechamber
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anti–
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against
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antipathy, antithesis, antibiotic, antiseptic
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auto–
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self
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automatic, autobiography, autonomous, autograph
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bi–
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two
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bilateral, bisect, bigamy, bisexual, bifurcate
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circum–
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around
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circumference, circumvent, circumlocution
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contra–, counter–
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against
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contradict, contravene, counteract
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dis–, dys–
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not, bad
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disinterested, disingenuous, disparity, dysfunctional
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equi–, equa–
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equal
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equity, equivalent, equanimity
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ex–, e–
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out, away
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exorcise, exhume, export, exhaust
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extra–
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above, beyond
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extraordinary, extraterrestrial
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hyper–
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above, over
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hyperactive, hyperbole, hypertension
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hypo–
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below, under
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hypodermic, hypothermia
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im–, in–
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not
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impossible, impregnable, inarticulate, infallible
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inter–
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between
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intermediate, international, intervene
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intra–
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within
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intravenous, intraoffice, intramural, intramuscular
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mon–, mono–
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one
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monogamy, monopoly, monocle
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multi–
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many
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multiple, multitude, multifarious
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neo–
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new
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neophyte, neonatal, neolithic
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omni–
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all, universal
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omnipotent, omniscient, omnivorous
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pan–
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all, complete
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panorama, panacea, panoply, pantheistic, pandemic
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poly–
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many
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polygamy, polytheism, polygon, polyglot
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post–
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after, behind
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postpone, postscript, posthumous, posterior
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pre–
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before
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predict, predisposed, preliminary, prescient, previous
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semi–, hemi–, demi–
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half, part
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semicircle, semiannual, hemisphere, demigod
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sub–
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under, below
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submerge, subterranean, submarine, subjugate
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super–
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over, above
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superior, superlative, supersede, supreme
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tele–
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far, distant
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telepathy, telephone, telecommunication
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trans–
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across
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translate, transform, transfusion, transatlantic
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un–, uni–
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one
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uniform, unique, union, unified, unity, universe
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