The Latin Prefix ab:
The Latin prefix ab means from or away from in many English derivatives. With a little practice using this Latin prefix, a student’s vocabulary will increase absolutely.1. abdicate (v.): To give up a position of power; especially the public announcement thereof. The king abdicated his thrown. The boss will likely abdicate her position tomorrow. (prefix ab + dicere) See more derivatives from dicere.
2. abduction (n.): A leading away, especially the unlawful taking of a person. The abduction of a child always saddens the community. Alien abductions fill the tabloid news. See more derivatives of ducere
3. aberration (n.): A wandering away, a mistake, a deviation from the norm. Winning the lottery twice in a lifetime would be a statistical aberration. See more derivatives from errare.
4. abhorrence (n.): The act of shrinking away from in disgust. The artist’s abhorrence of Wall Street. The Christian’s abhorrence of sin. See more derivatives from horrere.
5. abject (adj.): Thrown away, rejected; of a lowly condition, miserable. The children lived in abject poverty. See more derivatives for iacere.
6. abjure (v.): To swear off; to renounce or reject under oath. An ex-member of the cult, she now abjures all affiliation with it. See more derivatives for jus, juris.
7. abnormal (adj.): Not conformed to standard, not normal. He had an abnormal intelligence. He displayed abnormal behavior.
8. abrogate (v.): To do away with formally; to abolish, repeal, or annul; to ask permission to get rid of. The committee abrogated its former decision. State law cannot be used to abrogate federal law. See more derivatives from rogare.
9. abrupt (adj.): Breaking away suddenly; unexpected; brusque; steep. The trail ended abruptly; his speech was abrupt and to the point. See more derivatives from rumpere
10. abscond (v.): To stow oneself away to escape arrest or detection; to leave quickly and in secret. The thief absconded with the jewels. The children absconded after breaking the neighbor’s window pane. See more derivatives from condere.
11. absolution (n.): A releasing of blame; the taking away of fault. Her confession brought total absolution. After admitting his wrongdoing, he received absolution. See more derivatives from solvere.
12. absolute (adj.): Untied, unbound, released; separated completely away from. On her wedding day, her happiness was absolute, nothing could possibly have upset her. See more derivatives from solvere.
13. absolve (v.): To free from fault; to remove blame or sin. The priest absolved the penitent sinners. See more derivatives of solvere.
14. absquatulate (v.): to sneak away; to crouch down and leave secretly. An Americanism, combining the prefix ab- and the verb squat. The comedic actor absquatulated from the stage.
15. abstemious (adj.): Moderate in the use of food and drink. Joe used to drink to excess, but after the warnings of his friends, he become more abstemious. The recluse led an abstemious life.
16. abstract (adj.): Dragged away from the expected; not concrete. She loved abstract art because it unleashed her vivid imagination. See more derivatives from trahere.
17. abstruse (adj.): hard to understand, esoteric, recondite. The professor’s lectures were too abstruse for the average student to enjoy. (The prefix ab and the Latin root to push.) See more derivatives for trudere.
Use these words to play Hangman.
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