DefinioSaved words

Words with the root chron

chron means “time”, from Greekchronos.

15 examples of the root “chron”

  1. chronic-icpersisting over long time
  2. chronicle-iclerecord of events in time
  3. chronology-logystudy of time sequences
  4. chronological-logicalarranged in time order
  5. chronologically-logicallyin order of time
  6. anachronismana- + -ismsomething out of its time
  7. synchronizesyn- + -izecause to occur at same time
  8. synchronizedsyn- + -izedmade to happen at same time
  9. synchronoussyn- + -ousoccurring at the same time
  10. anachronisticana- + -isticbelonging to a different time
  11. chronometer-meterinstrument for measuring time
  12. diachronicdia- + -icacross different periods of time
  13. synchronicitysyn- + -icitymeaningful coincidence across time
  14. isochronousiso- + -ousoccurring at equal time intervals
  15. geochronologygeo- + -logydating events in Earth's history

How chron works

The root 'chron' comes from Greek 'khronos' and typically forms nouns, adjectives, and verbs relating to time; it combines with prefixes like 'syn-' (together), 'ana-' (back/against), and 'dia-' (through) to create precise meanings about temporal relationships. The root itself stays stable in spelling, but suffixes vary widely (-ic, -ology, -ize, -ism) to shift the word between adjective, noun, and verb functions.

Watch out: The word 'crony' may visually suggest 'chron-' but actually derives from Greek 'khronios' meaning long-standing companion, used informally, and is not considered a direct 'time' root word in mainstream analysis.

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

Questions people ask

What does the root “chron” mean?

chron means “time”. It comes from Greek (chronos). The root 'chron' comes from Greek 'khronos' and typically forms nouns, adjectives, and verbs relating to time; it combines with prefixes like 'syn-' (together), 'ana-' (back/against), and 'dia-' (through) to create precise meanings about temporal relationships. The root itself stays stable in spelling, but suffixes vary widely (-ic, -ology, -ize, -ism) to shift the word between adjective, noun, and verb functions.

What are some examples of words with the root “chron”?

chronic, chronicle, chronology, chronological, chronologically, anachronism, synchronize, synchronized. The full list of 15 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.

Which words look like they have the root “chron” but don’t?

The word 'crony' may visually suggest 'chron-' but actually derives from Greek 'khronios' meaning long-standing companion, used informally, and is not considered a direct 'time' root word in mainstream analysis.

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.