Meanings
nounroot word (plural root words)
plural root words
- A prefix in an English word derived from Greek or Latin.
- alternativeAlternative form of root: the primary lexical unit of a word, which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents. Inflectional stems often derive from roots.
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
APA
root word. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/root%20word
MLA
“root word.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/root%20word. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “root word,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/root%20word.
Source: root word on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.