Latin and Greek Roots for Vocabulary: Civil Service Exam Guide<\/h1>\n
Understanding Latin and Greek roots<\/strong> is one of the most efficient ways to expand your vocabulary for the Civil Service Exam (CSE). Instead of memorizing thousands of individual words, you can learn a few hundred roots, prefixes, and suffixes\u2014and unlock the meaning of countless unfamiliar terms. This skill is especially useful in vocabulary, reading comprehension, and analogy questions<\/strong>, where context and word structure matter more than rote memorization.<\/p>\n This guide explains how Latin and Greek roots work, why they are critical for the Civil Service Exam, and how to study them effectively. By the end, you will be able to break down complex words, infer meanings quickly, and answer vocabulary questions with confidence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Many English words used in formal writing, government documents, law, science, and academic texts come from Latin and Greek. Civil Service Exam passages and questions frequently include these types of words because they test analytical reading skills<\/strong>, not casual conversation.<\/p>\n Key reasons roots are important:<\/p>\n They help you guess meanings<\/strong> of unfamiliar words<\/p>\n<\/li>\n They improve reading speed and accuracy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n They reduce dependence on memorization<\/p>\n<\/li>\n They strengthen performance in synonyms, antonyms, and context clues<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n For example, if you know that \u201cbio\u201d<\/em> means life and \u201clogy\u201d<\/em> means study, you can immediately understand biology<\/em> as \u201cthe study of life,\u201d even if you\u2019ve never seen the word before.<\/p>\n English is a hybrid language. While everyday words often come from Old English (Germanic roots), formal, academic, and professional vocabulary<\/strong> largely comes from Latin and Greek.<\/p>\n Latin<\/strong> entered English through Roman influence, church texts, law, and later French<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Greek<\/strong> entered through science, philosophy, and medicine<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n As a result:<\/p>\n Latin-based words often sound formal or legal<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Greek-based words often relate to science, medicine, or ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The Civil Service Exam heavily favors this academic layer of English.<\/p>\n Before diving into examples, it\u2019s important to understand how words are constructed.<\/p>\n Root<\/strong>: the core meaning of the word<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Prefix<\/strong>: added to the beginning, modifies meaning<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Suffix<\/strong>: added to the end, often changes function or form<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Example: pre-<\/em> = before<\/p>\n<\/li>\n dict<\/em> = say<\/p>\n<\/li>\n -able<\/em> = capable of<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Meaning: capable of being said or known before it happens.<\/p>\n Latin roots appear frequently in Civil Service Exam vocabulary questions.<\/p>\n dict \/ dic<\/strong> \u2013 say, speak<\/p>\n predict, verdict, contradict<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n scrib \/ script<\/strong> \u2013 write<\/p>\n describe, manuscript, transcript<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n cred<\/strong> \u2013 believe<\/p>\n credible, credibility, incredulous<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n jur \/ jus<\/strong> \u2013 law<\/p>\n jurisdiction, justice, jury<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n leg<\/strong> \u2013 law<\/p>\n legal, legislate, legislature<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n reg<\/strong> \u2013 rule, govern<\/p>\n regulate, regime, royal<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n port<\/strong> \u2013 carry<\/p>\n transport, export, portable<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n mit \/ miss<\/strong> \u2013 send<\/p>\n transmit, dismiss, permit<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n act<\/strong> \u2013 do<\/p>\n action, react, enact<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Greek roots are especially common in scientific, philosophical, and abstract terms.<\/p>\n log \/ logy<\/strong> \u2013 study, word, reason<\/p>\n biology, logic, psychology<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n soph<\/strong> \u2013 wisdom<\/p>\n philosophy, sophisticated<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n gnos \/ gno<\/strong> \u2013 know<\/p>\n diagnosis, prognosis<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n bio<\/strong> \u2013 life<\/p>\n biography, biology<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n geo<\/strong> \u2013 earth<\/p>\n geography, geology<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n therm<\/strong> \u2013 heat<\/p>\n thermometer, thermal<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n metr<\/strong> \u2013 measure<\/p>\n metric, diameter<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n micro<\/strong> \u2013 small<\/p>\n microscope, microeconomics<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n macro<\/strong> \u2013 large<\/p>\n macroeconomics<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Prefixes often carry direction, time, quantity, or negation<\/strong>, which is extremely helpful in vocabulary questions.<\/p>\n pre-<\/strong> \u2013 before (preview, predict)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n sub-<\/strong> \u2013 under (submarine, subordinate)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n inter-<\/strong> \u2013 between (international, interact)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n trans-<\/strong> \u2013 across (transport, transfer)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n contra-<\/strong> \u2013 against (contradict, contrast)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n anti-<\/strong> \u2013 against (antibiotic, antisocial)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n auto-<\/strong> \u2013 self (automatic, autobiography)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n tele-<\/strong> \u2013 distant (telephone, television)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n mono-<\/strong> \u2013 one (monologue, monopoly)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n poly-<\/strong> \u2013 many (polygon, polyglot)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Suffixes help you identify part of speech<\/strong>, which is useful in sentence completion and error recognition.<\/p>\n -tion \/ -sion<\/strong> \u2013 act or process<\/p>\n creation, decision<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n -ment<\/strong> \u2013 result or state<\/p>\n development, achievement<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n -ity<\/strong> \u2013 quality or state<\/p>\n ability, responsibility<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n -able \/ -ible<\/strong> \u2013 capable of<\/p>\n readable, visible<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n -ous<\/strong> \u2013 full of<\/p>\n dangerous, curious<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n -ive<\/strong> \u2013 having a tendency<\/p>\n active, decisive<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n -ize<\/strong> \u2013 make or become<\/p>\n modernize, prioritize<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n -ate<\/strong> \u2013 act upon<\/p>\n regulate, activate<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n When you encounter an unfamiliar word in the Civil Service Exam, follow this process:<\/p>\n Identify the root<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Look for prefixes and suffixes<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Combine meanings logically<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Check context in the sentence<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Example:
\nWhy Latin and Greek Roots Matter for the Civil Service Exam<\/h2>\n
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\nHow English Vocabulary Developed from Latin and Greek<\/h2>\n
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\nUnderstanding Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes<\/h2>\n
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predictable<\/em><\/p>\n\n
\nCommon Latin Roots You Must Know<\/h2>\n
Latin Roots Related to Thinking and Speaking<\/h3>\n
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Latin Roots Related to Law and Government<\/h3>\n
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Latin Roots Related to Movement and Action<\/h3>\n
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\nCommon Greek Roots You Must Know<\/h2>\n
Greek Roots Related to Knowledge and Study<\/h3>\n
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Greek Roots Related to Life and Nature<\/h3>\n
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Greek Roots Related to Measurement and Size<\/h3>\n
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\nHigh-Frequency Prefixes from Latin and Greek<\/h2>\n
Latin Prefixes<\/h3>\n
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Greek Prefixes<\/h3>\n
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\nEssential Suffixes for Meaning and Function<\/h2>\n
Common Noun Suffixes<\/h3>\n
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Common Adjective Suffixes<\/h3>\n
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Common Verb Suffixes<\/h3>\n
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\nHow to Use Roots to Guess Word Meaning in Exams<\/h2>\n
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The policy was implemented to mitigate economic instability.<\/em><\/p>\n\n