Dictionary of Combining Forms: Vocabulary Building

What are “Combining Forms”?

A combining form is a form of a word that can combine with a free word, root 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 a free word, root word or another combining form.

(A). Examples of “Combining form + Free Word”:

Agro- + Industry = Agro-industry
Agro- denotes: connected with farming

(B). Example of “Combining form + Root Word”:

Aero- + Gramme = Aerogramm
Aero- denotes: connected with aircraft
Gramme denotes: writing

(C). Examples of “Combining form + Combining form”:

Hydro- + -Logy = Hydrology [the scientific study of the earth's water]
Hydro- denotes: relating to water
-Logy denotes: a subject of study

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. “Combining form” generally cannot stand alone as free words, but there are many exceptions to this rule.
EXAMPLES:
Combining Form: -like [free word]
lotus + -like = lotus-like
rope + -like = rope-like
-like- denotes: similar to the thing that is mentioned

2. Many Words ending in “-ed”, “-en”, etc. are used as COMBINING FORMS.
EXAMPLES:
Combining Form: -based (ending in ‘-ed’)
foreign + -based = foreign-based
demand + -based = demand-based
-based denotes: containing something as an important feature or part

3. Many words ending in “-ing” are used as COMBINING FORMS.
EXAMPLES:
Combining Form: -looking (ending in ‘-ing’)
fine + -looking = fine-looking
suspicious + -looking = suspicious-looking
-looking- denotes: to be appearing in a way that is mentioned

Alphabetical List of Combining Forms Along With Their Meanings And Examples

Combining Forms -- A

AERO-
Used to form: adjectives, adverbs and nouns
General meaning: connected with aircraft
Examples:
aerobatics / aerodrome / aerodynamics / aerofoil / aerogramme (also, aerogram) / aeronaut / aeronautics / aerospace / aerostat

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-AFFECTED
Used to form: adjectives
General meaning: suffering from the thing that is mentioned
Examples [along with their use in phrases]:
drug-affected ---- [drug-affected newborns]
famine-affected ---- [famine-affected village]
flu-affected ---- [flu-affected patients]
militancy-affected ---- [militancy-affected state]
quake-affected ---- [quake-affected hills]

Other Examples:
flood-affected / cyclone-affected / explosion-affected / drought-affected / rain-affected / violence-affected

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AFRO-
Used to form: adjectives and nouns
General meaning: African
Examples [along with their use in phrases]:
Afro-Brazilian ---- [Afro-Brazilian heritage]
Afro-British ---- [Afro-British people]
Afro-Caribbean ---- [Afro-Caribbean cooperation]
Afro-Colombian ---- [Afro-Colombian celebrities]
Afro-Cuban ---- [Afro-Cuban player]
Afro-descendant ---- [Afro-descendant communities]
Afro-Iranian ---- [Afro-Iranian minority]
Afro-Latina ---- [Afro-Latina engineers]
Afro-Mexican ---- [Afro-Mexican students]
Afro-Palestinian ---- [Afro-Palestinian group]
Afro-Turk ---- [Afro-Turk music star]

ALL-
Used to form: adjectives and adverbs
General meaning: each and every one | totally | 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-party / all-pervading / all-powerful / all-purpose / all-round / all-rounder / all-star / all-ticket / all-time