Prefixes end with a dash (prefix-).

Prefixes

Prefixes, Combining Forms, and Suffixes

Appendix

A

a-
no, not, without, away from, negative
ab-
away from, negative, absent
abs-
away from
ad-
toward, to, in the direction of
af-
toward, to
all/o, all-
other, different from normal, reversal
ambi-
both sides, around or about, double
an-
not, without
ana-
up, apart, excessive
ante-
before, in front of, forward
anti-
against
ap-
toward, to
ap-, apo-
separation, away from, opposed, detached
as-
toward, to
at-
toward, to

B

bi-
twice, double, two
bin-
two
brachy-
short
brady-
slow

C

calci-, calc/o
calcium
cine-
movement
co-
together, with
com-
together, with
contra-
hold together

D

de-
down, lack of, from, not, removal
deci-
ten, tenth
demi-
half
-derma, dermat/o, derm/o
skin
di-
twice, twofold, double
dia-, di-
through, between, apart, complete
dips/o, -dipsia
thirst
dis-
negative, apart, absence of
dys-
bad, difficult, painful

E

e-
out of, from
ec-
out, outside
ecto-
out, outside
ef-
out
em-
in
en-
in, within, into
end-, endo-
in, within, inside
ento-
within
epi-
above, upon, on
es-
out of, outside, away from
eso-
inward
eu-
good, normal, well, easy
ex-
out of, outside, away from
exo-
out of, outside, away from
extra-
on the outside, beyond, outside

F

fore-
before, in front of

G

gen-, gen/o, -gen
producing, forming

H

hemi-
half
hyper-
excessive, increased
hypo-
deficient, decreased

I

im-
not
in-
in, into, not, without
infra-
below, beneath, inferior to
inter-
between, among
intra-
within, inside
intro-
within, into, inside
iso-
equal, same

J

juxta-
beside, near, nearby

K

L

lact/i, lact/o
milk
lex/o, -lexia
word, phrase
lith/o, -lith
stone, calculus
-logy, -log
study of
-lytic
to reduce, destroy

M

macro-
large, abnormal size or length, long
mal-
bad, abnormal
mega-, megal/o
large, great
meso-
middle
meta-
change, beyond, subsequent to, behind, after
micr/o, micro-
small
mid-
middle
milli-
one-thousandth
mio-
smaller, less
mono-
one, single
multi-
many, much

N

neo-, ne/o
new, strange
nerv/o, neur/i, neur/o
nerve, nerve tissue
nitro-
nitrogen
non-
no, not
nor-
chemical compound
nulli-
none

O

ob-
against
-opsy, opt/i, opt/o, optic/o
eye, vision
orch/o, orchid/o, orchi/o
testicles, testis, testes
os-
mouth, bone
oss/e, oss/i
bone
ov/i, ov/o
egg, ovum
ox/i, ox/o, ox/y
oxygen

P

pan-
all, entire, every
par-, para-
beside, near, beyond, abnormal, apart from, opposite, along side of
per-
completely, through
peri-
surrounding, around
poly-
many
post-
after, behind
pre-
before, in front of
primi-
first
pro-
before, on behalf of, supporting
pros-
before, forward

R

re-
back, again
retro-
behind, backward, back of

S

semi-
half
sub-
under, less, below
super-
above, excessive, higher than
supra-
above, upper, excessive
sym-
with, together, joined together
syn-
together, with, union, association

T

tachy-
fast, rapid
tetra-
four
trans-
across, through
tri-
three

U

ultra-
beyond, excess
un-
not
uni-
one

V

X

Y

Z