Morphemes in “disapproval”
“disapproval” has 3 morphemes: dis- + approve + -al.
dis
prefix
+
approv
root
+
al
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are dis- + approve + -al.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| dis- | derivational prefix | bound | not, apart, away; reverse the action |
| approve (written approv) | free root | free | give sanction to |
| -al | derivational suffix | bound | action or result of (noun, as in arrival) |
How the word is built
approve → disapprove → disapproval
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “approve” is where the chain starts.
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Segmentation derived from MorphyNet (Batsuren, Bella & Giunchiglia, 2021; CC BY-SA 3.0, built from Wiktionary), with hand-written affix glosses and root meanings from WordNet. Reviewed for classroom use; tell us if you spot an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many morphemes are in "disapproval"?
"disapproval" has three morphemes: dis- + approve + -al.
How do you break "disapproval" into morphemes?
dis- + approve + -al. The root is "approve"; dis- is a derivational prefix, -al is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "disapproval"?
The root of "disapproval" is "approve", built up as approve → disapprove → disapproval.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.