Words with the root cap/cept
cap/cept means “take, seize”, from Latincapere.
15 examples of the root “cap/cept”
- captureureact of seizing or taking
- captionionheading; act of taking
- captainainone who takes charge
- acceptac- (ad-)take something offered willingly
- exceptex-take out or exclude
- capableableable to take on tasks
- capacityityamount that can be taken
- escapees-slip out of someone's grasp
- conceptcon-idea taken into the mind
- receivere- -ivetake something back or in
- perceiveper- -ivetake in through the senses
- interceptinter-seize something passing between
- deceivede- -ivetake someone in by trickery
- susceptiblesus- -iblecapable of being taken under
- anticipateanti- -atetake action before something occurs
How cap/cept works
The root appears as 'cap-' (capture, capable) and shifts to 'cept' after prefixes (accept, intercept), and to 'ceive' in verbs like receive and perceive. These spelling variants reflect Latin conjugation patterns carried into English through Old French.
Watch out: The word 'cape' (a cloak or headland) comes from Latin 'capa' meaning cloak, not from 'capere' meaning to seize, despite looking identical to the root.
To see roots combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other Greek and Latin roots
- port · carry
- duct · lead
- scrib/script · write
- dict · say
- aud · hear
- vid/vis · see
- rupt · break
- mit/miss · send
- vert/vers · turn
- ped · foot
- man/manu · hand
- spec/spect · look
- pos/pon · place
- fac/fact · make
- voc/vok · voice
- terr · earth
- aqua · water
- luc/lum · light
- nov · new
- temp · time
- mort · death
- gram/graph · write
- log/logy · word
- phon · sound
- bio · life
- chron · time
- geo · earth
- path · feeling
- hydr · water
- scope · look at
- therm · heat
- psych · mind
- auto · self
- tele · far
- micro · small
Questions people ask
What does the root “cap/cept” mean?
cap/cept means “take, seize”. It comes from Latin (capere). The root appears as 'cap-' (capture, capable) and shifts to 'cept' after prefixes (accept, intercept), and to 'ceive' in verbs like receive and perceive. These spelling variants reflect Latin conjugation patterns carried into English through Old French.
What are some examples of words with the root “cap/cept”?
capture, caption, captain, accept, except, capable, capacity, escape. The full list of 15 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the root “cap/cept” but don’t?
The word 'cape' (a cloak or headland) comes from Latin 'capa' meaning cloak, not from 'capere' meaning to seize, despite looking identical to the root.
What is a root word?
A root is the core of a word that carries its main meaning. Many English roots come from Latin or Greek and cannot stand alone, like port (“carry”) in transport and portable.