Dictionary of Combining Forms: Vocabulary Building

What are Combining Forms

Combining Form
Combining form is a form of a word that can combine with another word or another combining form to get a new word.
Combining form adds extra meaning to the new word.
Combining form is added to the beginning or end of another word or another combining form.

Examples:
Agro- in Agro-industry
Agro- denotes: connected with farming

Counter- in Counter-argument
Counter- denotes: against; opposite

Super- in Superman
Super- denotes: more or better than normal

Thermo- in Thermonuclear
Thermo- denotes: connected with heat

Combining Forms – A

AERO-
Used to form: nouns, adjectives and adverbs
General meaning: connected with aircraft
Examples:
aerobatics / aerodrome / aerodynamics / aerofoil / aerogramme / aeronaut / aeronautics / aerospace / aerostat
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AGRO-
Used to form: nouns, adjectives and adverbs
General meaning: connected with farming
Examples:
agrochemical / agro-forestry / agro-industry / agronomist / agronomy
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ALL-
Used to form: adjectives and adverbs
General meaning: completely | in the highest degree
Examples:
all-American / all-around / all-British / all-Canadian / all-clear / all-consuming / all-embracing / all-encompassing / all-important / all-inclusive / all-night / all-nighter / all-out / all-over / all-pervading / all-powerful
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ANGLO-
Used to form: nouns and adjectives
General meaning: English or British
Examples:
Anglo-American / Anglo-Catholic / Anglo-Catholicism / Anglo-Dutch / Anglo-Indian / Anglo-Irish / Anglomania / Anglo-Norman / Anglophile / Anglophobia / Anglophobic / Anglophone / Anglo-Saxon
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ANTHROPO-
Used to form: nouns, adjectives and adverbs
General meaning: connected with humans
Examples:
anthropocentric / anthropocentrism / anthropoid / anthropological / anthropologist / anthropology / anthropomorphic / anthropomorphism / anthroposophy
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ARCH-
Used to form: nouns
General meaning: most important; chief or main
Examples:
archbishop / archangel / archduke / archenemy / archrival
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ASTRO-
Used to form: nouns, adjectives and adverbs
General meaning: connected with the stars or outer space
Examples:
astrolabe / astrologer / astrological / astrology / astrometry / astronaut / astronomer / astronomical / astronomically / astronomy / astrophysicist / astrophysics
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AUDIO-
Used to form: nouns, adjectives and adverbs
General meaning: connected with hearing or sound
Examples:
audio-book / audio-cassette / audio-lingual / audiology / audio-meter / audio-metric / audiophile / audiotape / audio-typist / audio-visual
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