diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/parent.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/parent.md
index 02375f87..7870aa3f 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/parent.md
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/operators/parent.md
@@ -79,6 +79,46 @@ will output
       c: cat
 ```
 
+## Get the top (root) parent
+Use negative numbers to get the top parents
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a:
+  b:
+    c: cat
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq '.a.b.c | parent(-1)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a:
+  b:
+    c: cat
+```
+
+## Root
+Alias for parent(-1), returns the top level parent. This is usually the document node.
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+a:
+  b:
+    c: cat
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq '.a.b.c | root' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+a:
+  b:
+    c: cat
+```
+
 ## N-th parent
 You can optionally supply the number of levels to go up for the parent, the default being 1.
 
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lexer.go b/pkg/yqlib/lexer.go
index 8e04761d..509d07b0 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lexer.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lexer.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func unwrap(value string) string {
 }
 
 func extractNumberParameter(value string) (int, error) {
-	parameterParser := regexp.MustCompile(`.*\(([0-9]+)\)`)
+	parameterParser := regexp.MustCompile(`.*\((-?[0-9]+)\)`)
 	matches := parameterParser.FindStringSubmatch(value)
 	var indent, errParsingInt = parseInt(matches[1])
 	if errParsingInt != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/lexer_participle.go b/pkg/yqlib/lexer_participle.go
index f7c9d056..d4451257 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/lexer_participle.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/lexer_participle.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ var participleYqRules = []*participleYqRule{
 	simpleOp("sort_?keys", sortKeysOpType),
 
 	{"ArrayToMap", "array_?to_?map", expressionOpToken(`(.[] | select(. != null) ) as $i ireduce({}; .[$i | key] = $i)`), 0},
-
+	{"Root", "root", expressionOpToken(`parent(-1)`), 0},
 	{"YamlEncodeWithIndent", `to_?yaml\([0-9]+\)`, encodeParseIndent(YamlFormat), 0},
 	{"XMLEncodeWithIndent", `to_?xml\([0-9]+\)`, encodeParseIndent(XMLFormat), 0},
 	{"JSONEncodeWithIndent", `to_?json\([0-9]+\)`, encodeParseIndent(JSONFormat), 0},
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ var participleYqRules = []*participleYqRule{
 	simpleOp("split", splitStringOpType),
 
 	simpleOp("parents", getParentsOpType),
-	{"ParentWithLevel", `parent\([0-9]+\)`, parentWithLevel(), 0},
+	{"ParentWithLevel", `parent\(-?[0-9]+\)`, parentWithLevel(), 0},
 	{"ParentWithDefaultLevel", `parent`, parentWithDefaultLevel(), 0},
 
 	simpleOp("keys", keysOpType),
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_parent.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_parent.go
index a85c9ca5..3644db0f 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_parent.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_parent.go
@@ -35,9 +35,28 @@ func getParentOperator(_ *dataTreeNavigator, context Context, expressionNode *Ex
 
 	for el := context.MatchingNodes.Front(); el != nil; el = el.Next() {
 		candidate := el.Value.(*CandidateNode)
+
+		// Handle negative levels: count total parents first
+		levelsToGoUp := prefs.Level
+		if prefs.Level < 0 {
+			// Count all parents
+			totalParents := 0
+			temp := candidate.Parent
+			for temp != nil {
+				totalParents++
+				temp = temp.Parent
+			}
+			// Convert negative index to positive
+			// -1 means last parent (root), -2 means second to last, etc.
+			levelsToGoUp = totalParents + prefs.Level + 1
+			if levelsToGoUp < 0 {
+				levelsToGoUp = 0
+			}
+		}
+
 		currentLevel := 0
-		for currentLevel < prefs.Level && candidate != nil {
-			log.Debugf("currentLevel: %v, desired: %v", currentLevel, prefs.Level)
+		for currentLevel < levelsToGoUp && candidate != nil {
+			log.Debugf("currentLevel: %v, desired: %v", currentLevel, levelsToGoUp)
 			log.Debugf("candidate: %v", NodeToString(candidate))
 			candidate = candidate.Parent
 			currentLevel++
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_parent_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_parent_test.go
index a1709895..0f0295ce 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_parent_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_parent_test.go
@@ -38,6 +38,49 @@ var parentOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
 			"D0, P[], (!!seq)::- {c: cat}\n- {b: {c: cat}}\n- {a: {b: {c: cat}}}\n",
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		description:    "Get the top (root) parent",
+		subdescription: "Use negative numbers to get the top parents",
+		document:       "a:\n  b:\n    c: cat\n",
+		expression:     `.a.b.c | parent(-1)`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!map)::a:\n    b:\n        c: cat\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		description:    "Root",
+		subdescription: "Alias for parent(-1), returns the top level parent. This is usually the document node.",
+		document:       "a:\n  b:\n    c: cat\n",
+		expression:     `.a.b.c | root`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[], (!!map)::a:\n    b:\n        c: cat\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		description: "N-th negative",
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		document:    "a:\n  b:\n    c: cat\n",
+		expression:  `.a.b.c | parent(-2)`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[a], (!!map)::b:\n    c: cat\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		description: "large negative",
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		document:    "a:\n  b:\n    c: cat\n",
+		expression:  `.a.b.c | parent(-10)`,
+		expected: []string{
+			"D0, P[a b c], (!!str)::cat\n",
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		description: "large positive",
+		skipDoc:     true,
+		document:    "a:\n  b:\n    c: cat\n",
+		expression:  `.a.b.c | parent(10)`,
+		expected:    []string{},
+	},
 	{
 		description:    "N-th parent",
 		subdescription: "You can optionally supply the number of levels to go up for the parent, the default being 1.",