What is a prefix?
A prefix (affix) is a word, or letter(s) placed at the beginning of another word (a base word) to adjust or qualify its usage or meaning. The opposite of prefix is suffix.
List of English Prefixes
Prefix | General Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a(n)- | not , without | atonality , asexuality , amoral , anarchy |
| ab- | away | abduction , absolutism , ablution |
| ac- | ||
| acr(o)- | high, up | Acropolis |
| aden(o)- | ||
| aer(o)- | air | aeronautics , aerodrome , aeroplane , aerodynamics |
| agr(o)- | relating to farming | agriculture |
| an- | ||
| an(a)- | out of | anachronism |
| an(o)- | ||
| andr- | man | androgyny , androcentrism , android , androgen |
| anem- | ||
| Anglo- | English or British | Anglo-Irish relations, anglophile |
| ante- | before | antebellum |
| anthrop(o)- | relating to human beings | anthropology , anthropocentrism , anthropomorphic |
| ant(i)- | against | antidote , antibody , anticlockwise |
| aut(o)- | self | autonomy , autobiography , automobile , autopilot |
| bar(o)- | atmosphere | |
| bathy- | deep | Bathyscape , Bathysphere |
| be- | completely, thoroughly; excessively; on; around; about; used to form transitive verbs | |
| bi- | two | bicycle , bijection , bilingual , bicameralism , bisexuality |
| bi(o)- | life | biology , biography , biosphere , biotechnology |
| bibli(o)- | relating to books | bibliophilia , bibliography |
| blast(o)- | ||
| brady- | slow | bradycardia |
| brom(o)- | ||
| bronch(o)- | relating to breathing | bronchitis |
| cac(o)- | ||
| cardi(o)- | heart | cardiovascular |
| cent-, centi - | hundred or hundredth | centenary, centimeter, centipede |
| cephal(o)- | ||
| chrom(o)-, chromat(o)- | ||
| chron(o)- | time | chronology, chronograph |
| circum- | around | circumcision, circumnavigation, circumlocution, circumference |
| cion(o)- | ||
| co- | together | cooperative, cohabit |
| colpo- | ||
| com-, con-, col-, cor- | with, together | conference , connotation , context , Congress , congregation |
| contr(a)-, contr(o) | against, opposite | contradiction , contraception , controversy |
| cosm(o)- | cosmology , cosmopolitan , cosmotheism | |
| counter- | against, opposite | counterpoint , counterweight , Counter-Reformation |
| crin(o)- | ||
| cry(o)- | frost , icy cold | cryogenics , cryoelectronics , cryostorage |
| crypt(o)- | hidden | cryptography , cryptozoology |
| cyt(o)- | hollow, receptacle, cell | cytoplasm , cytology |
| dactyl(o)- | ||
| de- | taking something away, the opposite | decentralisation , deforestation , dehydration |
| dec(a)-, dek(a)- | ten | decamerous |
| deci - | one tenth | deciliter |
| dem(o)- | people, nation | demographics , democracy |
| derm(o)-, derm(a)-, dermat- | skin | dermatology , dermatitis |
| di- | two , double | |
| didact(o)- | apt at teaching | |
| dynam(o)- | power , force | dynamic , dynamite , dynamo |
| dis- | reverse , opposite | dissent , discovery , disambiguation |
| dox(o)- | Doxology | |
| dys- | bad, deformed, abnormal | dyspepsia , dystrophy , dysarthria |
| eco- | house | economy , ecology , ecosystem , ecotourism , ecotage |
| ecto(s)- | outside | ectoskeleton |
| edaph(o)- | ||
| electr(o)- | electricity | electrocution |
| embry(o)- | full | |
| encephal(o)- | brain | encephalitis |
| end(o)-, ent(o)- | ||
| enne(a)- | nine | enneastyle |
| enter(o)- | ||
| eo- | dawn, early | eobacterium |
| ep(i)-, eph- | above | epitaxy |
| erg(o)- | ergonomics | |
| erythr(o)- | ||
| erot(o)- | ||
| stom(o)-, stomat(o)- | ||
| ethn(o)- | ethnology , ethnolinguistics , ethnocentrism | |
| eu- | good | eulogy , euthanasia , eugenics , euphemism |
| ex- | former | ex-wife, ex-president |
| ex(o)- | outside | exoskeleton |
| extra- | very, more than usual, outside, beyond | extra-thin, extra-special extraordinary, extraterrestrial |
| flor(i)- | relating to flowers | florist |
| fore- | before, in advance | foreskin , foreshadowing |
| gyn- | female | gynaecology , gynoid |
| hemi- | half | hemimetabolous |
| hex(a)- | six | hexapod |
| hyper- | excessive, (least to greatest in order: hypo, sub, super, hyper) | hyperactive , hyperthyroidism |
| hyp(o)- | below, (least to greatest in order: hypo, sub, super, hyper) | hypodermic |
| in- | extremely | inflammable , invaluable |
| in-, il-, im-, ir- | not | infallibility , illiteracy , immoral , irrelevant |
| inter- | between, from one to another | intervention , international |
| intra- | within, interior | intramural, intravenous |
| kilo - | thousand | kilogram , kilowatt |
| mal- | bad, badly | malpractice , malnutrition |
| maxi- | most, very, large | maxi-dress |
| mega -, megal- | million , very large | megabyte , megaphone |
| meta- | after, beyond | metacarpal , metaphysics |
| micro - | one millionth, very small | microgram , microorganism , micronation |
| mid- | in the middle of | mid-term elections , Mid-Autumn Festival , Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
| milli - | thousandth | milligram , milliliter |
| mini- | small | miniskirt , miniscule |
| mis- | bad , wrong | miscarriage , misanthropy , misogyny |
| mon(o)- | one , single | monolith , monorail , monotony , monocle |
| multi- | many | multiculturalism , multilingual |
| non- | not | nonsense, non-denial denial |
| non- | nine | none, nonagon |
| oct(o)-, oct(a)- | eight | octane , octopod , octagon |
| oo- (" oo -oh") | egg, ovum | oocyte |
| out- | more, to a greater degree | to outdo, to outrun |
| over- | more than normal, too much | overpopulation , over-consumption |
| pent(a)- | five | pentagon |
| post- | after | Post-Fordism , postpartum depression , postmodernity , postmodernism |
| pre- | before | prediction , preview , precedent , prenatal care |
| pro- | for, in favour of | pro-choice, pro-life, promotion |
| quadr-, quart- | four | quadrangle , quadruplet , quartic , quartile |
| quin(que)- | five , into five parts | quinquesection |
| quint(i)- | fifth , five | quintiped |
| re- | again, repeatedly | reduction , reflection , revolution |
| rect(i)- | proper, straight | rectify, rectangle |
| scler(o)- | hard | scleroderma atherosclerosis |
| semi- | half | semi-automatic , semi-detached |
| sept(a)- | seven | heptachord |
| sex(i)- | six | sexivalent |
| Sino- | Chinese | Sino-American relations |
| spasm(o)- | ||
| sperm(o)-, spermat(o)- | ||
| spher(o)- | ||
| sphygm(o)- | pulso | sphygmomanometer |
| splen(o)- | ||
| splanchn(o)- | ||
| schiz(o)-, schist(o)- | split | schizophrenia , schistocyte |
| staphyl(o)- | ||
| styl(o)- | pillar | |
| sub- | below, less than, under,(least to greatest in order: hypo, sub, super, hyper) | subset , subsonic , subway , subtitles |
| super- | extremely, more than, (least to greatest in order: hypo, sub, super, hyper) | superhuman , Superego , supersonic |
| syn- | along with, together, at the same time | synergy , synchronicity |
| tach(y)-, tach(o)- | fast, speed | tachycardia , tachometer |
| tel(e)-, tel(o)- | far, over a long distance | telecommunications , television , telephoto lens , telodynamic |
| tel(o)-, tel(e)- | end, complete, mature | teloblast |
| trans- | across, beyond | transfer , transubstantiation , transatlantic , Trans-Siberian railway |
| tri- | three | triangle , tricolor , triptych |
| ultra- | extremely, beyond a certain limit | Ultramontanism , ultraviolet |
| un- | not, opposite, take something away | unconstitutional , undelete |
| uni- | one , single | uniform , unification |
| ur- | first, original | urtext |
| zoo- (" zoo -oh") | relating to animals | zoomorphic , zoology |
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