A prefix is a letter or a group of letters attached to the beginning of a word (or word root) that partly indicates its meaning. Basically, the word prefix itself begins with the prefix pre-, which generally means “before” or “in front of”. By contrast, a letter or group of letters attaching to the end of a word is called a suffix.
Generally, many of today’s English words contain prefixes from Greek or Latin. Thus, understanding the meanings of the most common prefixes can help us deduce the definition of new words we run across in our reading. Especially knowing a prefix can make a word mean its opposite, such as the difference between “possible” and “impossible”.
Still, we do need to be careful. The same prefix may be spelled in more than one way (pre- and pro-, for instance). Also, some prefixes (such as in-) have more than one meaning (“not” or “without” versus “in” or “into,” as an example). Even so, being able to recognize prefixes can help us build our vocabularies and parse out words we may not know.
Common Prefixes
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples |
| a-, an- | without, lack of, not | amoral, acellular, abyss, achromatic, anhydrous |
| ante- | before, earlier, in front of | antecedent, antedate, antemeridian, anterior |
| anti- | against, opposite of | anticlimax. antiaircraft, antiseptic, antibody |
| auto- | self, same | autopilot, autobiography, automobile, autofocus |
| circum- | around, about | circumvent, circumnavigate, circumscribe |
| co- | with, together | co-pilot, co-worker, co-exist, co-author |
| com-, con- | together, with | companion, commingle, contact, concentrate |
| contra-, contro- | against, opposite | contradict, contrast, contrary, controversy |
| de- | down, off, away from | devalue, deactivate, debug, degrade, deduce |
| dis- | not, apart, away | disappear, disagreeable, disbar, dissect |
| en- | put into, cover with | enclose, entangle, enslave, encase |
| ex- | out of, from, former | extract, exhale, excavate, ex-president |
| extra- | beyond, outside, more than | extracurricular, extramarital, extravagant |
| hetero- | different, other | heterosexual, heterodox, heterogeneous |
| homo-, homeo- | same, alike | homonym, homophone, homeostasis |
| hyper- | over, more, beyond | hyperactive, hypersensitive, hypercritical |
| il-, im-, in-, ir- | not, without | illegal, immoral, inconsiderate, irresponsible |
| in- | in, into | insert, inspection, infiltrate |
| inter- | between, among | intersect, interstellar, intervene, interpenetrate |
| intra-, intro- | within, inside | intravenous, intragalactic, introvert |
| macro- | large, prominent | macroeconomics, macrostructure, macrocosm |
| micro- | very small | microscope, microcosm, microbe |
| mono- | one, single, alone | monocle, monologue, monogamy, monotony |
| non- | not, without | nonentity, nonaggressive, nonessential, nonfiction |
| omni- | all, every | omniscient, omnivorous, omniscient, omnidirectional |
| post- | after, behind | postmortem, posterior, postscript, postoperative |
| pre-, pro- | before, forward | precede, predict, project, prologue |
| re- | again | reelect, readmit, resubmit |
| sub- | under, lower | submarine, subsidiary, substandard |
| sym-, syn- | same time, together | symmetry, symposium, synchronize, synapse |
| tele- | from or over a distance | telecommunications, telemedicine, television, telephone |
| trans- | across, beyond, through | transmit, transaction, translation, transfer |
| tri- | three, every third | tricycle, trimester, triangle, triathlon |
| un- | not, lacking, opposite of | unfinished, unskilled, ungraceful, unfriendly |
| uni- | one, single | unicorn, unicellular, unicycle, unilateral |
| up- | to the top or north, higher/better | upbeat, updo, upgrade, upload, uphill, upstage, upscale, up-tempo |
Lastly, the general rule is to use the whole prefix in a word—as in, refrain from adding or removing letters.
Source: thoughtco.com©
Graphic by learningenglishonlinefree.wordpress.com
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