Root — English definition
Defined in 3 courses:
- The core part of a word that carries its basic meaning, often borrowed from Greek or Latin (e.g., 'aud' means 'hear'). (English 6)
- The core part of a word that carries its basic meaning; many English roots come from Greek or Latin (for example, 'spect,' meaning 'look'). (English 10: Choices, Conscience & Consequences)
- The core part of a word that carries its central meaning, often inherited from Greek or Latin (for example, 'spect' = to look, in inspect, spectator, and perspective). (English 11: American Voices, Identity & Public Memory)
Where it is taught
- Context Clues & Word-Solving — Language & Vocabulary, English 6, Grade 6
- Vocabulary in Context — Language, Style & Conventions, English 10: Choices, Conscience & Consequences, Grade 10
- Vocabulary & Word Analysis — Language, Style & Conventions, English 11: American Voices, Identity & Public Memory, Grade 11
In use
A huge share of English — especially the long words in science and history — is built from a small set of Greek and Latin roots, and each root keeps its meaning wherever it lands.
Context Clues & Word-Solving
Affixes — prefixes and suffixes — then bend a root's meaning: the prefix 'in-' can negate ('incredible' = not believable), 'circum-' means 'around' ('circumnavigate' = sail around), and a suffix like '-tion' turns a verb into a noun.
Vocabulary in Context
A root is the core piece that carries a word's central meaning, and a single root can unlock a dozen words at once.
Vocabulary & Word Analysis
Questions using root
Problem 1
- auction
- audience
- audible
- auditorium
Answer and explanation
auction
'Audience' (people who hear), 'audible' (able to be heard), and 'auditorium' (a place built for hearing) all use 'aud' to mean hearing. 'Auction,' a public sale, has nothing to do with hearing.
Problem 2
Answer and explanation
A preview is a look at something before the full thing — like seeing a short clip of a movie before it comes out — combining 'pre-' (before) and 'view' (see). You could confirm this by checking a dictionary, which would give the precise meaning and the part of speech (noun or verb).
Problem 3
- Someone who never looks at anything.
- A type of circular object.
- Someone who speaks very loudly.
- Someone who looks around carefully before acting; cautious.
Answer and explanation
Someone who looks around carefully before acting; cautious.
'Circum-' (around) plus 'spect' (look) builds the meaning 'looking around carefully' — that is, cautious and watchful.
Problem 4
- to speak
- to look or see
- to build
- to move
Answer and explanation
to look or see
All three words involve looking — inspect (look into), spectator (one who watches), perspective (a way of seeing) — so 'spect/spec' means 'to look.'