van- root words — words with the van- root

The root van- comes from Latin vanus, meaning empty. 15 words in Dendril are built from it, including vain, vanish, vanished, vanishes, vanishing, vanities, vanity, vainly, evanescent, vainglorious, vainglory, vaunt. Dendril shows them on a free interactive word map — no signup, no ads.

Words that use the van- root

Explore words with van- — words containing the van- root and sharing its sense of "empty". Examples include vain, vanish, vanished, vanishes, vanishing, vanities, vanity, vainly, evanescent, vainglorious, vainglory, vaunt. Click any word to see its own roots, definition, and related words.

The van- root means empty, from Latin vanus. Recognizing it helps you decode and remember the many English words built on this root.