Meaning: above, beyond, among
Root word: Greek μετά (metá)
Roots with similar meanings:
Roots with opposite meanings:
Roots that could be confused:
- metr-, meter- meaning “measure”
- metr– meaning “mother”
- metal– meaning “mine”
- meth– meaning “methyl”
Notes: .
Derived English Words
Commonly encountered words are in bold.
Metacognition: Awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes; thinking about thinking.
Metafiction: A genre of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, often blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality.
Metadata: Data that provides information about other data, often used in contexts like digital files, databases, and libraries.
Metagraphy: The study of the structure and properties of writing systems and their representations.
Metalogic: The study of the properties and foundations of logic itself; often examines the relationships between different logical systems.
Metamathematics: The study of the foundations and properties of mathematics itself, often examining the nature of mathematical proofs and systems.
Metaphysical: Pertaining to metaphysics; often used to describe concepts that go beyond the physical or empirical world.
Metaphenomenon: A phenomenon that is self-referential or reflective in nature, often discussing the nature of phenomena themselves.
Metaplasm: A term in linguistics referring to changes made to the structure of a word or its elements, including alterations in spelling or pronunciation.
Metastructure: A structure that encompasses or describes the organization and interrelationships of various elements or systems.
Metathesis: The transposition of sounds or letters in a word; for example, saying “aks” instead of “ask.”
Metabolism: The set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms that convert food into energy and building blocks for growth, maintenance, and repair.
Metamorphic: Relating to rocks that have undergone a transformation due to heat, pressure, or other environmental factors, resulting in changes to their mineral composition and structure.
Metamorphosis: A process of transformation, often used to describe the developmental changes in animals (e.g., from larva to adult) or significant changes in form or structure.
Metaphor: A figure of speech that involves an implicit comparison between two unlike things, suggesting that one thing is another to highlight similarities.
Metastatic: Relating to the spread of cancer cells from one part of the body to another, indicating the ability of cancer to grow in distant tissues.
Meteor: A bright streak of light produced when a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere and burns up due to friction; often referred to as a “shooting star.”
Method: A systematic way of doing something; a procedure or approach employed to achieve a specific goal or result.
Metaphysics: A branch of philosophy that explores the fundamental nature of reality, existence, and the relationship between mind and matter, often addressing questions beyond the physical sciences.
Metabolic: Relating to metabolism, the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms that convert food into energy and other necessary substances.
Metacarpal: Referring to the five bones in the hand that are located between the wrist (carpals) and the fingers (phalanges).
Metatarsal: Referring to the five long bones in the foot located between the ankle (tarsals) and the toes (phalanges).
Metacenter: A point in a floating body where the buoyant force acts, used in the study of stability in fluid mechanics.
Metadromous: Referring to organisms that migrate between different habitats during their life cycle, particularly in relation to aquatic environments.
Metamorphic: Pertaining to rocks that have transformed due to heat, pressure, or chemical processes, resulting in changes to their mineral composition and structure.
Metanephric: Relating to the metanephros, the final stage of kidney development in vertebrates, particularly in embryos.
Metaphase: A stage in cell division (mitosis or meiosis) where chromosomes align in the center of the cell before being separated into daughter cells.
Metaplasia: A reversible change in which one type of adult tissue is replaced by another type, often in response to chronic injury or irritation.
Metanym: A term that refers to a word that has a derived meaning based on association with another word, often used in linguistics.
Metaplasm: A term in linguistics referring to changes made to the structure of a word or its elements, including alterations in spelling or pronunciation.
Metonym: A figure of speech in which one thing is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it (e.g., “the White House” for the U.S. presidency).
Metapneumonic: Pertaining to conditions or symptoms related to or arising from pneumonia.
Metastable: A state of a system that is stable under small disturbances but may transition to a more stable state with larger disturbances.
Metatherian: Relating to a group of mammals known as metatherians, which includes marsupials like kangaroos and opossums.
Metazoa: A major group in the animal kingdom that includes multicellular animals, characterized by a complex organization and differentiation of tissues.
Metencephalon: A part of the embryonic brain that develops into the pons and cerebellum in vertebrates.
Metopion: The midpoint of the forehead; an anatomical term used in cranial measurements.
Other Uses
Links
List of Greek and Latin roots in English – Wikipedia
Other Roots Used in These Words
| Root | Meaning |
| cephal- | head |
| cogn- | know |
| drom- | run |
| en- | in |
| fict- | do |
| graph- | draw, write |
| log- | study |
| morph- | shape |
| nephr- | kidney |
| -onym | name |
| phor- | bear, carry |
| plas- | to shape or mold |
| pne- | blow, breathe, lung |
| stat- | cause to stand |
| ther- | beast, animal |
| zo- | animal |
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