Prefixes
The English language has its roots in several languages,
including Greek, Latin, and older forms of
English, German, and French. Learning to recognize common roots and affixes (prefixes and
suffixes) will help you build your vocabulary and improve your ability to make educated guesses
about unknown words you encounter in reading and test-taking situations. Good dictionaries will
give you information about the origins of words. Whenever you look up a new word, make a point of
reading this information. Some of the roots and affixes that appear in a large number of words.
Learning these will enhance your ability to comprehend course readings and learn new terminology.
PREFIXES
Old English
Origin
|
PREFIX
|
MEANING
|
EXAMPLES
|
|
a
|
in, on, of, up, to, at
|
afire, abed, astride,
afoot
|
|
back
|
back
|
backstroke, backward
|
|
be
|
around, about, away,
completely
|
beset, besprinkle, beware
|
|
by
|
near, secondarily, incidental
|
by-play, by-product,
by-stander
|
|
for
|
away, from, off, apart
|
forswear, forsake, forfend
|
|
fore
|
before, previous
|
forethought, foreword
|
|
mis
|
badly, poorly, not
|
misfit, misfire, misbelieve
|
|
off
|
off
|
offside, offspring, offhand
|
|
out
|
better, greater, going
away
|
outbound, outpatient,
outrun
|
|
over
|
over, excessively, above
|
overthrow, overcast,
overrun
|
|
un
|
not, no, a reversal
|
unfold, unknown, ungodly
|
|
under
|
below
|
undershirt, undergraduate
|
|
with
|
away, against
|
withdraw, withstand,
withhold
|
Latin Origin
|
ab (a, abs)
|
from, off, away
|
abdicate, abnormal, averse
|
|
ad (ac, af, ag, al, an,
ap, ar, as, at)
|
to, toward, near, very
|
adverse, advocate, accede, affiliate, aggression,
allude, annul, appear, arrogate, assent
|
|
ambi
|
both
|
ambidextrous, ambivalent
|
|
ante
|
before, previous
|
antecedent, antedate,
ante
|
|
bene
|
well, good
|
benison, benefit, beneficiary
|
|
bi
|
two, twice
|
biennial, bilateral,
bisect
|
|
circum
|
around
|
circumvent, circumspect
|
|
com (co, col, con, cor)
|
with, together, very,
jointly
|
compare, complicate, coexist, collate, concentrate,
corrupt
|
|
contra (contro, counter)
|
against, opposing
|
contradict, contravene, contrast, controversy,
counter
|
|
de
|
away, opposed, off, down
|
demure, demolish, debark
|
|
demi
|
half
|
demigod, demitasse, demimonde
|
|
dis (di, dif)
|
away, out, apart from, reversal of, opposite
of, down
|
dissent, dispel, digress, divert, diffuse, diffident,
discourse, discuss, dislike
|
|
ex (e, ec, ef)
|
away, from, out, without,
missing, former
|
excise, eccentric, expel,
eject, efface, ex-wife
|
|
extra (extro, exo)
|
outside, beyond
|
extramural, extrovert,
exoskeleton, extravagant
|
|
in (ig, il, im, ir)
|
not, opposing
|
incapable, insoluble, illicit, improvident, irrational,
ignoble
|
|
in (il, im, ir)
|
in, into, within
|
induct, irrigate, immigrate
|
|
inter
|
among, between
|
intercede, intermittent
|
|
intro, intra
|
inwardly, to the inside,
within
|
introvert, introduce,
intravenous, intrastate
|
|
mal
|
bad, evil, wrong, ill
|
malady, malignant, malcontent
|
|
multi
|
many
|
multimillionaire, multiply
|
|
non
|
not
|
nonentity, nonessential
|
|
ob (oc, of, op)
|
over, against, toward,
very, upon
|
obtrude, obstruct, occlude, offend, oppose,
obloquy
|
|
per
|
through, thoroughly,
completely
|
permeate, perspicuous,
pernicious, percolate
|
|
post
|
after, later, behind,
following
|
postlude, postpone, postscript
|
|
pre
|
before, earlier, in front
of
|
preclude, prevent, predicate,
precursor
|
|
pro
|
earlier, before, in front of, in place of,
favoring, forward
|
protract, proponent, pronoun, profuse, proceed,
pro-Anglo
|
|
re
|
back, backward, again
|
revoke, recede, recur,
repeat
|
|
retro
|
back, backward
|
retrospect, retroactive
|
|
se
|
away, aside, away from
|
secede, seduce, seclude
|
|
semi
|
half, partly
|
semiannual, semicircular
|
|
sub (suc, suf, sub, sum,
sup, sus)
|
under, beneath, lower,
less
|
subjugate, subsist, succinct, suffuse, suggest,
supplant, sustain, subsidy, subtle
|
|
super, sur
|
over, above, extra, to a degree greater than
normal
|
superscript, supersede,
supervise, surtax, surname
|
|
trans, tra
|
across, beyond, through
|
transfuse, transient,
traduce
|
|
ultra
|
beyond, excessive
|
ultramodern, ultraviolet
|
|
uni
|
one
|
unicellular, unicorn,
unite
|
Greek Origin
|
a, an
|
lacking, without, not
|
amorphous, anemic, amoral,
anarchy, aphasia
|
|
amphi
|
both
|
amphitheater, amphibiotic
|
|
ana
|
up, against, back
|
anagram, analysis, anachronism
|
|
anti
|
against, opposing, opposite
|
antipathy, antitoxin,
antithesis
|
|
apo
|
from, off, separate
|
apostate, apology, apostle
|
|
cata, cath
|
down, away, thoroughly
|
catalyst, catastrophe
|
|
dia
|
through, across, apart
|
diameter, diaphanous,
diagnose
|
|
dys
|
ill, bad, difficult
|
dysentery, dysphasia
|
|
exto, ect
|
outside, external
|
ectoderm, ectomorph,
ectogenic
|
|
en, em
|
in, within, among
|
endemic, empiric, empathy
|
|
endo, end
|
within, inside
|
endobiotic, endoderm,
endoblast
|
|
epi
|
on, over, outside, outer
|
epigram, epidermis, epitome
|
|
eu
|
good, pleasant, true,
well
|
eugenics, eulogy, euphemism
|
|
hemi
|
half
|
hemisphere, hemiplegis
|
|
hetero
|
different
|
heterogeneous, heterolite
|
|
hyper
|
above, excessive, over
|
hyperbole, hypercritical
|
|
hypo
|
under, down, lower, less
|
hypodermic, hypothesis
|
|
iso
|
equal, alike
|
isomagnetic, isonomy,
isosceles
|
|
macro
|
large, long
|
macrocosm, macroeconomics
|
|
mega
|
great, million
|
megacycle, megalith,
megascopic
|
|
mes, meso
|
middle, intermediate
|
mesomorph, mesosphere
|
|
meta, met
|
later, with a change
in
|
metabolism, metamorphosis
|
|
micro
|
small
|
microscope, micron, microsown
|
|
mono
|
one
|
monoplane, monopoly
|
|
ne, neo
|
new
|
neogenesis, neology,
neophyte
|
|
olig
|
few
|
oligarchy, oligopoly
|
|
para
|
beside, beyond, related
|
parallel, paradox, paraphrase
|
|
peri
|
around, near, enclosing
|
perimeter, periscope
|
|
poly
|
many
|
polygon, polytechnic
|
|
pro
|
earlier, before, in front
of, forward
|
progress, prophesy, prognosis,
program
|
|
proto
|
first
|
prototype, protopathic
|
|
pseudo
|
false
|
pseudonym, pseudo, pseudopod
|
|
syn (sym, syl, sys)
|
with, together, at same
time
|
synchronize, synthesis,
sympathy, system, syllogism
|
|
tele
|
far
|
telepathy, telephone,
telegony
|
|
|
1. readin'
