Common Prefixes

Prefix

Meaning

Examples

A-, An-

Not, Without

Amoral, Anaesthetics, Apolitical, Asocial

Ab-

Away From

Abduction, Abstain, Abnormal

Ad-

To, Toward

Adjoin, Adjacent (Lying Near To)

Ambi-

Both

Ambidextrous, Ambivalent

Ana-

Up, Back, Again

Analogy, Anatomy, Anagram

Ante-

In Fornt Of, Before

Antecedent, Antebellum

Anti-

Against

Antipathy, Antiwar, Antisocial

Apo-

From, Away From

Apology, Apologize

Auto-

Self

Autobiography, Automobile, Autocracy, Automaton

Bene-

Good

Benediction Benevolent Benefactor

Bi-

Two

Bicycle, Binocular

Bio-

Life

Infer, Illustrate, Improve, Irrigate

Cata-, Cat-

Down, Against

Catastrophe—A Turning Down

Centro, Centri-

Around, Center

Concentric, Centrifugal

Circum-

Around

Circumlocution Circumference, Circumvent

Co-, Com-

With, Together

Communal, Community

Con-

With, Together

Connect, Confide Conspire

Contra-

Against

Contradict, Contravene

De-

Down, Away

Descend, Deject (Cast Down)

Deca-, Deci-

Ten

Decathlon, Decade, Decimal, Decimeter

Dia-, Di-

Through, Across

Diameter, Division

Dis-

Apart, Not

Disengage, Discord, Discomfort

Dys-

Ill, Difficult, Bad

Dysfunctional, Dysentery

E-

Out Of, From

Elect (Choose Out Of), Eject (Throw Out)

Ecto-

On The Outside

Ectoderm—Outer Skin

En-, Em-

In

Empathy—Feeling In

Endo-

Within, Inside

Endoscope—Instrument For Observing Inside

Epi-

Upon

Epitaph Epidermis, Epicentre

Eso-

Inward, Within

Esoteric—More Inward, Esophagus

Eu-

Well, Good

Euthanasia—Good Death

Ex-

Out Of, From

Exhume, Exhale, Exodus

Fore-

Before, Earlier

Forearm, Foreword

Hetero-

Other, Different

Heterosexual, Heterodoxy, Heterodox Heterogeneous

Homo-

Same

Homosexual, Homogeneous, Homogenized

Hyper-

Over

Hypertension, Hypersensitive, Hyperactivity

Hypo-, Hyp-

Under

Hypotension, Hypodermic, Hyponics

Il-

Not

Illegitimate, Illicit, Illegal, Illegible

Im-

Not

Imperfect, Impolite, Impossible

Im-

Into

Imbibe (Drink In, Take In)

In-

Not

Indiscreet, Invisible

In-

Into

Incorporate (Take Into The Body)

Inter-

Between

Intervene (Come Between), Interstate

Intra-

Within

Intrastate, Intramural

Ir-

Not

Irregular, Irrational, Irredeemable

Kilo-

Thousand

Kilogram, Kilowatt

Macro-

Large

Macrocosm, Macroeconomics

Mal, Male-

Bad, Evil

Malediction Malevolent, Malnutrition

Meta-

Beyond

Metaphysical

Mega-

Great, Huge

Megabyte, Megaphone

Micro-

Small

Microscope, Microcosm, Microeconomics

Mid-

Middle

Midnight, Midweek

Mini-

Small

Miniature, Minimum

Milli-, Mille-

1000

Millennium, Millimetre

Mis-

Bad, Badly, Wrong, Wrongly

Misbehave, Misread, Misspell

Mono-

One, Single

Monologue, Monotheism, Monarchy, Monogamy

Multi-

Many, Much

Multicolour, Multifamily

Non-

Not

Nonfit, Nonsense

Neo-

New, Recent

Neologism, Neo-Liberal, Neonatology. Neolithic

Ob-

Against

Object, Obstruct (Build Against)

Oct-

Eight

Octagon, Octopus

Omni-

All

Omnipresent, Omniscient

Over

Too Much, Above

Overdone, Overhead

Palin-, Pali-

Back, Again

Palindrome

Pan-

All, Every

Pantheism, Pan-Hellenic, Panorama, Pandemic

Para-

False

Paramilitary, Paralegal, Parachute

Per-

Through

Percolate (Flow Through) Perforates (Punch Through)

Peri-

Around

Perimeter, Periscope

Phil-, Philo-

Like, Lover Of

Philosophy, Francophile, Bibliophile, Philanthropy

Poly-

Many, Several

Polygon, Polygamy, Polytechnic, Polytheism

Post-

After

Postgraduate, Posthumous Postpone

Pre-

Before

Precede, Predict (Tell Before)

Pro-

For, Forward

Promote, Project

Pros-

Toward, In Front

Prospect—View In Front, Something Coming Up

Proto-

First

Prototype, Protoplasm, Protobiology

Pseudo

False

Pseudonym, Pseudoscience

Quad-

Four

Quadrilateral, Quadrant

Re-

Again, Back

Repeat, Recede, Regress (Step Back)

Retro-

Back

Retrogression, Retroactive

Se-

Away From

Seduce (Lead Away), Secede

Semi-

Half

Semicircle, Semicolon

Sub-

Under

Submarine, Subject, Subhuman Subterranean

Sur-, Super-

Over, Above

Superhuman, Superego, Superintend, Surpass

Syn-, Sym-, Syl-, Sys-

With, Together

Symphony, Synonym, System, Syllable

Tele-

Distant, Far Off

Telephone, Telepathy, Television, Telegram

Trans-

Across

Transient, Transatlantic, Transport (Carry Across)

Tri-

Three

Tringle, Tripod, Tricycle

Ultra-

Beyond In Degree, Extreme

Ultramarine, Ultraviolet

Un-

Not, Opposite

Unlock, Unsafe

Uni-

One, Single

Unicorn, Uniform, Universe, Unicycle

Under-

Too Little, Below

Underfed, Underground