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List of English prefixes

Prefix Meaning Examples
a(n)- not, without atonality, asexuality, amoral, anarchyanonymous
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(a)- out of anachronism
andr- man androgyny, androcentrism, android, androgen
anem-
Anglo- English or British Anglo-Irish relations
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 barometer
bathy- deep Bathyscaphe, 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 centenarian, centimeter, centipede
cephal(o)- brain
chrom(o)-, chromat(o)- colour chromatic, chromosome
chron(o)- time chronology
circum- around circumcision, circumnavigation, circumlocution, circumference
cion(o)-
co- together cooperative, co-belligerence
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)- endocrinology
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, Denazification
dec(a)-, dek(a)- ten decamerous, December, decimeter
deci- one tenth deciliter
dem(o)- people, nation demographics, democracy
derm(o)-, derm(a)-, dermat- skin dermatology, dermatitis
di- two, double diurnal
dia- through diameter, diagnosis, diarrhoea
didact(o)- apt at teaching didactic
dynam(o)- power, force dynamic, dynamite, dynamo
dis- reverse, opposite dissent, discovery, disambiguation
dok, dox(o)- view, teaching doxology, dogma, orthodox
dys- bad, deformed, abnormal dyspepsia, dystrophy , dysarthria
ec(o)- house economy, ecology, ecosystem, ecotourism, ecotage
ect(o)- ectomorphic
edaph(o)-
electr(o)- electrocution, electroencephalogram
embry(o)- embryo
encephal(o)- brain encephalitis
end(o)-, ent(o)- endoscope
enne(a)- nine enneastyle, enneagram
enter(o)-
eo- dawn, early eobacterium
ep(i)-, eph- above epitaxy
erg(o)- ergonomics
erythr(o)-
erot(o)- erotic, erotomania
stom(o)-, stomat(o)- stomach
ethn(o)- ethnology, ethnolinguistics, ethnocentrism
eu- good eulogy, euthanasia, eugenics, euphemism
Euro- European Euro-MP (Member of the European Parliament)
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, hexagonal, hexameter
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
Luso- Portuguese lusophone
Mac- or Mc- "son of" McCarthy, Kirsty MacColl
mal- bad, badly malpractice, malnutrition
maxi- most, very, large maximal, maxi-dress
Mc- McDonalds like McJob, McPaper
mega-, megal- million, very large megabyte, megaphone
meso- middle mesoamerica, mesoscale
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, miniseries
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
novem- nine November
O'- (son) of O'Brian
oct(o)-, oct(a)- eight octane, octopod , octagon, October
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
quadr-, quart- four quadrangle, quadruplet, quartic, quartile
quinqu(e)- five, into five parts quinquesection,
quint(i)- fifth, five quintiped, quintet
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 , September
sex(i)- six sexivalent
Sino- Chinese Sino-American relations
spasm(o)-
sper- spread sperm
spher(o)- sphere, ball spherical, atmosphere
sphygm(o)- pulso sphygmomanometer
splen(o)-
splanchn(o)-
schiz(o)-, schist(o)- split schizophrenia, schistocyte
staphyl(o)-
styl(o)- pillar stylus, stylist
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
twi- two twilight, twig, twin, twitch
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

External Links

See Also

List of English suffixes

Last updated: 05-16-2005 08:28:16