List of English Prefixes
A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify or change its meaning. This is a list of the most common prefixes in English, together with their basic meaning and some examples. You can find more detail or precision for each prefix in any good dictionary. The origins of words are extremely complicated. You should use this list as a guide only, to help you understand possible meanings. But be very careful, because often what appears to be a prefix is not a prefix at all. Note also that this list does not include elements like "auto-" or " bio-", because these are "combining forms", not 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 |
|
