cel- root words — words with the cel- root

The root cel- comes from Latin excellere, meaning rise high, surpass. 3 words in Dendril are built from it, including excel, excelled, excellence. Dendril shows them on a free interactive word map — no signup, no ads.

Words that use the cel- root

Explore words with cel- — words containing the cel- root and sharing its sense of "rise high, surpass". Examples include excel, excelled, excellence. Click any word to see its own roots, definition, and related words.

What does cel- mean?

The cel- root means rise high, surpass, from Latin excellere. Recognizing it helps you decode and remember the many English words built on this root.