anim
(AN-im)life, breath, mind
Latin for breath or soul — the spark of life. To animate something is to give it life; an animal is a breathing creature.
The story behind this root
Anima was the Latin word for breath — and to the Romans, breath was the soul. Anything alive had an anima; anything that moved on its own was animated. That single image of breath as life sits inside animal, animation, and equanimity (even-souled).
Example words
animal
a living creature that breathes and moves
animate
to bring to life or motion
animation
the art of bringing drawings to life
unanimous
in complete agreement, of one mind
magnanimous
having a great, generous spirit
Words in our dictionary that use this root
Every dataset word containing anim, with the parts it shares with other roots in our set.
equanimity
calm, even-tempered composure
animal
a living creature that breathes and moves
animate
to bring to life or motion
animation
the art of bringing drawings to life
unanimous
in complete agreement, of one mind
magnanimous
having a great, generous spirit
Common Core alignment
Grades served: 5, 6, 7
- L.5.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).
- L.6.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
- L.7.4bUse common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
Related roots
Body & life. Roots that name parts of the body and the idea of being alive.
Browse all body & life roots →