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  3. /lect

lect

Latin

Variants

lectligleg

Related Roots

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About This Root

From Latin legere (to choose, read, gather), past participle lectum. The triple meaning — choose, read, gather — produces three word families: choosing (elect, select, election), gathering (collect, collection), and reading (lecture, legible, legend). Prefixes create nuance: se- (apart) in select, col- (together) in collect, e- (out) in elect.

Associated Words

allege

To claim something is true without full proof

NGSL 3kIELTSTOEFL

artificial-intelligence

The simulation of human intelligence by computers

collect

To gather things together; to accumulate items as a hobby

NGSL 2kA1

collectable

Worthy of collecting; an object worth collecting

A1

collected

Gathered together; calm and in control of one's emotions

GREA1

collectible

Worthy of collecting; an object worth collecting

A1

collection

A group of items gathered together; the act of collecting

NGSL 2kIELTSGRE

collective

Done by or belonging to a group together; a jointly owned enterprise

TOEFLA2

collectively

As a group; together as a whole

A1

collectivism

The principle that group interests take priority over individual ones

A1

collectivist

A supporter of collectivism; relating to collectivism

A1

collectivistic

Of or relating to collectivism

A1

collectivity

The state of being collective; a group considered as a whole

A1

collectivization

The process of organizing farms or industries under collective control

A1

collectivize

To organize under collective or state ownership

A1

college

A corporate group; a group of colleagues

NGSL 1kIELTSA1

colleges

Institutions of higher education offering degrees or training

IELTSA1

counterintelligence

Activities to detect and prevent enemy espionage and sabotage; 反情报,反间谍活动

C2

data-collection

The systematic gathering of information for research or analysis

delectation

Great pleasure or delight

GREC2

delegate

A representative of others; to assign tasks or authority to someone

IELTSTOEFLGRE

delegation

A group of representatives; the act of delegating authority

A1

delegator

A person who delegates tasks or authority

A1

democratically-elected

Chosen through a democratic voting process

deselect

To cancel or remove a selection

B1

dialect

A regional or social variety of a language

IELTSTOEFLGRE

dialectal

Relating to or characteristic of a dialect

C1

diligence

Steady, careful hard work and perseverance; 勤奋,勤勉

GREB1

diligent

Hard-working and persistent; 勤勉的,用功的

IELTSTOEFLB1

eclectic

Drawing from diverse sources or styles; a person who does so

GREC2

eclecticism

The practice of drawing from diverse sources or doctrines

TOEFLGREC2

elect

To choose by voting; elected but not yet in office

NGSL 2kB2

electable

Capable of winning an election

B2

election

a formal vote to choose a political representative

NGSL 1kTOEFLB1

election-year

A year in which a major election takes place

elective

Relating to elections; freely chosen; an optional course

B2

elector

A person who has the right to vote in an election

B2

electoral

Relating to elections or voters

B2

electorate

All people entitled to vote in an election

GREB2

elegance

Grace and refinement in appearance or style; clever simplicity

TOEFLB2

elegant

Graceful and refined in appearance or style

IELTSTOEFLB2

elegantly

In a graceful and stylish manner

B2

elicit

To draw out or provoke a response or information from someone

IELTSTOEFLGRE

eligible

Meeting the necessary conditions to qualify for something

IELTSTOEFLGRE

elite

A select group of the best or most powerful people; of the highest quality

IELTSTOEFLGRE

extralegal

Outside the scope or control of the law

A1

general-election

A national election open to all voters

illegal

Contrary to or forbidden by law or rules

NGSL 3kIELTSGRE

illegalize

To make something illegal by law

illegally

In a way that is against the law

B1

illegitimacy

The state of being illegal or born to unmarried parents

C2

illegitimate

Not lawful or authorized; born to unmarried parents

TOEFLGREC2

illegitimately

In an unlawful or unauthorized manner

C2

inelegance

Lack of grace or refinement

C2

inelegant

Lacking grace or refinement

C2

inelegantly

In a graceless or unrefined manner

C2

ineligible

Not qualified or permitted; failing to meet required conditions

TOEFLGREC2

intellect

The ability to think and reason; a highly intelligent person

IELTSTOEFLGRE

intellectual

Relating to the mind and intellect; a learned, thoughtful person

NGSL 2kIELTSTOEFL

intellectually

In a way that relates to the intellect or mental reasoning

B2

intelligence

The ability to learn and understand; secret information about an enemy

NGSL 2kIELTSTOEFL

intelligent

Having a high mental capacity; quick to learn and understand

IELTSTOEFLA2

intelligently

In a clever and rational manner

C2

intelligentsia

The educated intellectual elite of a society

C2

intelligible

Able to be understood; expressed clearly

IELTSTOEFLGRE

intelligibly

In a clear and understandable manner

C2

lectern

A stand with a slanted top for holding a speaker's notes or a book

GREC2

lecture

A formal spoken lesson; to teach or scold by speaking at length

NGSL 3kIELTSB1

lecturer

A person who gives lectures, especially at a university

B2

lectureship

The position of a lecturer at a university

C2

legacy

Money or property left in a will; something inherited from the past

TOEFLGREA1

legal

relating to the law; permitted by law

NGSL 1kIELTSTOEFL

legalistic

Strictly adhering to the letter of the law

A1

legalization

The process of making something legally permitted

B1

legalize

To make something permitted or lawful

TOEFLB1

legally

In a manner permitted by law

B1

legend

A traditional story involving heroic or supernatural elements; a very famous person

IELTSTOEFLGRE

legendary

Relating to legend; extremely famous or remarkable

TOEFLB2

legendry

A collection of legends or traditional stories

C2

legible

Clear and easy to read

TOEFLGREA1

legion

A large Roman army unit; a vast number of people or things

TOEFLGREA1

legislate

To make or pass laws

IELTSTOEFLGRE

legislation

Laws enacted by a legislature; the process of making laws

NGSL 2kIELTSTOEFL

legislative

Relating to making laws; the law-making branch of government

B2

legislatively

By means of legislation

C2

legislator

A person who makes laws, especially a member of a legislature

B2

legislature

A governmental body with the power to make and repeal laws

TOEFLGREB2

legitimate

Lawful and valid; conforming to accepted standards; to make lawful

IELTSGREB2

legitimately

In a lawful or justifiable manner

C2

legitimization

The process of making something lawful or accepted

C2

legitimize

To make something lawful or acceptable

C2

legume

A plant of the pea or bean family, or its edible seed or pod

TOEFLC2

long-neglected

Ignored or overlooked for a long time

neglect

To fail to care for or attend to something; lack of proper care

NGSL 3kIELTSTOEFL

neglected

Not given proper care or attention

B2

neglectful

Failing to give proper care or attention

B2

negligence

Failure to take proper care; careless lack of responsibility

IELTSTOEFLGRE

negligent

Failing to take proper care; careless

TOEFLC1

negligently

In a careless or inattentive manner

C2

negligible

Too small or unimportant to be worth considering

IELTSTOEFLB2

newly-elected

Recently chosen by vote; newly-elected

non-elected

Not chosen through a public election

non-selective

Not based on selective criteria

post-election

Occurring or relating to the period after an election

pre-selected

Chosen in advance before a formal selection

predilection

A strong natural preference or liking for something

GREC2

privilege

A special right or advantage not enjoyed by all; to grant such a right

NGSL 3kIELTSTOEFL

privileged

Having special advantages or rights not available to everyone

B2

re-elect

To elect again to the same position; 重新选举,改选

re-election

Election to the same position for another term; 再次当选,改选

recollect

To recall or remember something from the past

B2

recollected

Remembered or recalled from memory

A1

recollection

The act of remembering; something recalled from the past

TOEFLGREB2

sacrilegious

Showing disrespect toward something sacred

GREC2

select

To choose from a group; of high quality or carefully chosen

NGSL 2kTOEFLB1

selected

Carefully chosen from a group

B1

selectee

A person who has been selected or drafted

B1

selection

The act of choosing; a range of options to choose from

NGSL 2kIELTSTOEFL

selective

Carefully choosing only certain things; not applying to all

B1

selectively

In a selective manner, applying only to chosen cases

B1

selectivity

The quality or degree of being selective

B1

selector

A person or device that selects among options

B1

self-selected

Chosen by oneself rather than by an external process

self-selection

The process of choosing oneself or something for oneself

uncollectible

Not able to be collected or recovered; a bad debt that cannot be recovered

A1

unelected

Not chosen through an election

B2

unintelligent

Lacking intelligence or mental ability

C2

unintelligibly

In a way that is impossible to understand

C2

unselected

Not chosen or selected

B1