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A long word is usually a short word with parts added. Read it from the root outwards: in decentralization, central becomes a verb (centralize), is reversed (decentralize) and is then turned into a noun.
| Affix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| de- | reverse or remove | deregulate, declassify |
| mis- | wrongly | misinterpret, mismanage |
| over- / under- | too much / too little | overstate, underfund |
| out- | do better or more than | outperform, outnumber |
| counter- | against, in response | counterargument, counterproductive |
| -ize / -ify | make or become (verb) | prioritize, simplify |
English freely uses a word in a new class without adding anything. You recognise the class from the position and the endings: after to or a subject it is a verb, after a / the it is a noun.
| Direction | From | To |
|---|
| noun → verb | a chair, a shortlist, a fund | to chair, to shortlist, to fund |
| verb → noun | to rethink, to upgrade, to divide | a rethink, an upgrade, a divide |
| adjective → verb | narrow, empty, clear | to narrow, to empty, to clear |
| phrasal verb → noun | to break down, to take over | a breakdown, a takeover |
Some recent conversions are office jargon (to action a request, a big ask, the key learnings). In formal writing prefer the established word: to deal with, a demanding request, the main lessons.