Prefix Meaning Example

verb > predicative adjective with progressive

a- afloat, around
aspect

anti- against, opposite anti-freeze, antivirus, anticlimax

arch- supreme, highest, worst arch-rival, archangel

equipped with, covered with, beset with

be- bedeviled, bedazzle, bewitch
(pejorative or facetious)

co-cor/ co-worker, coordinator, cooperation,

joint, with, accompanying
con correlate, conjunction

counter- against, in opposition to counteract, counterpart

de- reverse action, get rid of de-emphasize

dis- not, opposite of disloyal, disagree

dis- reverse action, get rid of disconnect, disinformation

en-/em- to make into, to put into, to get into enmesh, empower

ex- former ex-husband, ex-boss, ex-colleague

fore- before, in front forearm, forehand, forerunner

hind- after hindleg

mal- bad, wrong Malnourish, malformed

mid- middle midcentury, midlife, midweek

mini- small minimarket, mini-room

mis- wrong misinformation, misguide

out- better, faster, longer, beyond outreach, outcome, outrun

over- excessive, above overreact, overact

post- after, behind post-election, post-graduation

pre- before preview, pre-enter

pro- for, forward, on the side of pro-life, pronoun

re- again, back review, revisit, rerun

self- self self-sufficient

step- family relation by remarriage stepbrother

trans- across, from one place to another transatlantic

tri- three tricycle, triangle

un- not, against, opposite of unnecessary, unequal

undo, untie

below, beneath, lower in grade/dignity, lesser,

under- underachieve, underground, underpass
insufficient

up- greater, higher, or better upgrade, uplift

with- against withstand

Prefix Meaning Examples

Afro- relating to Africa Afro-American

ambi- both ambidextrous, ambitendency

amphi- around, two, both, on both sides amphitheater, amphibian

an-/a- not, without anemic, asymmetric

ana-/an- up, against anacardiaceous, anode

Anglo- relating to England Anglo-Norman

ante- before antenatal

anti- opposite, against Antivenom, anti

apo- away from, detached, formed apomorphine

astro- star astrobiology

auto- self autobiography, automatic

bi- two bicycle

bio- life, biological biodegrade

circum- around, surrounding Circumnavigate, circumference

cis- on this side of cislunar

con-/com-/col-/cor-/co- together or with confederation, commingle, colleague, correlation, cohabit

contra- opposite contradict, contraindication

cryo- ice cryogenics

crypto- hidden, secret cryptography

de- down depress

demi- half demigod

demo- people democracy, demography

deutero-, deuter- second deuterogamy

di- two Dichotomy, dioxide

dia- through dialysis, diameter

dis-/di-/dif- apart differ, dissect, divide

du-/duo- two duet

eco- ecological ecosystem

electro- electric, electricity electro-analysis

en-, el-, em- in ellipsis, emphasis, energetic

epi- upon, at, close upon, in addition epicenter, epidermis

Euro- European Eurocentric

ex- out of exit, export

extra- outside extracurricular

fin- kinship affinity

Franco- French, France Francophile

geo- relating to the earth or its surface geography

gyro- spinning on an axis gyrosphere, gyrocopter

hetero- different heterosexual

hemi- half hemimorphic

homo- same homogenous, homologous

hydro- relating to water, or using water hydroelectricity

hyper- above, over hyperthermia

hypo- under or below something, low hypothermia

ideo- image, idea ideograph

idio- individual, personal, unique idiolect, idiopathic

in- in, into insert

Indo- relating to the Indian subcontinent Indo-European

in-, il-, im-, ir- not, opposite of illicit, impossible, inexact, irregular

infra- below, beneath infrared

inter- among, between interact, intercede, interstate

intra- inside, within intravenous

iso- equal isochromatic, isotherm

macr(o)- long macrobiotic

maxi- very long, very large maxi-skirt

mega-/megalo- great, large megastar, megalopolis

meta- after, along with, beyond, among, behind metabolism, metaphysics

micro- small microbiology

mono, mon- sole, only monogamy

multi-, mult- many multicultural, multi-story

neo- new neolithic

non- not nonexistent

omni- all omnipotent, omnipresent

ortho- correcting or straightening orthodontics, orthotropic

paleo- old paleolithic

pan- all, worldwide pan-African, pandemic

para- beside, beyond Parallel, paraphrase

ped- foot pedestrian

per- through, completely, wrongly, exceedingly permeate, permute

peri- around, near or adjacent periphrases, perihelion

photo- light photoelectric, photography

pod- foot podiatrist

poly- many polygon, polyhedron

post- after postfix, postpone

pre- before predict, prepare

preter- beyond, past, more than preternatural

pro- substitute, deputy pronoun, proconsul

pros- toward prosthesis

proto- first, original protoplasm, prototype

pseudo- false, imitation pseudonym

pyro- fire pyrotechnic

quasi- partly, almost, appearing to be but not quasi-religious

retro- backwards retrograde

semi- half semicircle

socio- society, social sociopath, sociological,

sub-, sup- below, under support

super- above, over supervisor

supra- above, over suprarenal

sur- above, over surreal, surrender

syn-/sy-/syl-/sym- together, with synthesis, symbol, syllable, system

tele- at a distance telegraph, television

trans- over, through, across transverse

tri- three tricycle

ultra- beyond ultraviolet, ultra magnetic

uni- one, consisting of only one unicycle

vice- deputy vice-president, vice-principal