Medical Terminology: Prefixes

• Prefix: a-
  Meaning: Without
  Example: Amenorrhea - without a menstruation cycle
• Prefix: ab- , abs-
  Meaning: away from
  Example: Abrade - to wear away
• Prefix: ad-
  Meaning: toward, to
  Example: Addiction -involuntary dependence upon a substance or action
• Prefix: ambi-
  Meaning: both, around
  Example: Ambidextrous - having ability on both sides
• Prefix: an-
  Meaning: Without
  Example: Anorexia - without appetite
• Prefix: ana-
  Meaning: up, toward
  Example: Anaphylactic - exaggerated reaction to an antigen or toxin
• Prefix: ante-
  Meaning: before
  Example: Antepartum - before labor or childbirth
• Prefix:anti-
  Meaning: against
  Example: Antidepressant - counteracting depression
• Prefix: apo-
  Meaning: derived, separate
  Examples: apodia - congenital absence of feet
• Prefix: auto(o)-
  Meaning: self
  Example: autogenous - originating within the body
• Prefix: bi-
  Meaning: twice, double
  Example: bilobular - having two lobes
• Prefix: brachy-
  Meaning: short
  Example: brachymelia - disproportionate shortness of limbs
• Prefix: brady-
  Meaning: Slow
  Example: bradypepsia - slowness of digestion
• Prefix: cata-
  Meaning: Down
  Example: catabolism - breaking down of chemicals in the body
• Prefix: circum-
  Meaning: around
  Example: circumcision - cutting around the male genitalia
• Prefix: co-; col-; com-; con-; cor-
  Meaning: together
  Example: collaboration - to bring together the efforts of two or more people
• Prefix: contra-
  Meaning: against
  Example: contraceptive - to protect against conception
• Prefix: de-
  Meaning: away from
  Example: delivery - the passage of fetus and placenta away from the genital canal into the external world
• Prefix: di-; dif-; dir-; dis-
  Meaning: not, separated
  Example: Dislocation - separation of a joint
• Prefix: dia-
  Meaning: through
  Example: dialysis - blood filtration through artificial kidney function
• Prefix: dys-
  Meaning: abnormal, difficult
  Example: Dysuria - difficult urination
• Prefix: ect(o)-
  Meaning: outside
  Example: ectocyst - outer layer of a hydatid cyst
• Prefix: end(o)-
  Meaning: within
  Example: endoscopy - examination of the interior with a scope
• Prefix: epi-
  Meaning: over
  Example: Epidemic - widespread disease over large geographical areas
• Prefix: eu-
  Meaning: well, good, normal
  Example: eutherapeutic - having excellent curative properties
• Prefix: ex-
  Meaning: out of, away from
  Example: excretion - to pass out of the body
• Prefix: exo-
  Meaning: external, on the outside
  Example: Exocrine - a type of gland that secretes onto the surface of the body
• Prefix: extra-
  Meaning: without, outside of
  Example: extraoral - outside or the oral cavity
• Prefix: hemi-
  Meaning: half
  Example: Hemiplegia - paralysis on one side of the body
• Prefix: hyper-
  Meaning: above normal, overly
  Example: Hyperglycemia - high blood sugar
• Prefix: hypo-
  Meaning: below normal
  Example: Hypoglycemia - low blood sugar
• Prefix: infra-
  Meaning: positioned beneath
  Example: infrapatellar - beneath the patella
• Prefix: inter-
  Meaning: between
  Example: internal - beneath the surface
• Prefix: intra-
  Meaning: within
  Example: intranasal - within the nasal cavity
• Prefix: iso-
  Meaning: equal, same
  Example: isolate - to separate and set apart from others
• Prefix: mal-
  Meaning: bad, inadequate
  Example: maladie - a disease or illness
• Prefix: meg(a)- megal(o)-
  Meaning: large
  Example: Megalocardia - enlarged heart
• Prefix: mes(o) -
  Meaning: middle, median
  Example: Mesoderm - the middle layer of skin
• Prefix: meta-
  Meaning: after
  Example: metatarsal - the foot bone after the tarsal bone
• Prefix: micr(o)-
  Meaning: small, microscopic
  Example: microscopic - minutely small and invisible to the unaided eye
• Prefix: mon(o)-
  Meaning: single
  Example: Monolocular - having one cavity or chamber
• Prefix: multi-
  Meaning: many
  Examples: multinodular - having many nodes
• Prefix: olig(o)-
  Meaning: few, little, scanty
  Example: oligodipsia - abnormal lack of thirst
• Prefix: pan-, pant(o)-
  Meaning: all, entire
  Example: panacea - cure all remedy
• Prefix: per-
  Meaning: through, intensely
  Example: percutaneous - passage of substance through the skin
• Prefix: pluri-
  Meaning: several, more
  Example: pluriresistant - having multiple aspects of resistance
• Prefix: poly-
  Meaning: many
  Example: polyadentitis - inflammation of many lymph nodes
• Prefix: post-
  Meaning: after, following
  Example: Posterior - the back surface of the body
• Prefix: pre-
  Meaning: before
  Example: Prenatal - before birth
• Prefix: pro-
  Meaning: before, forward
  Example: process - the projection, growth, or the action of moving forward
• Prefix: quadra-, quadri-
  Meaning: four
  Example: Quadrant - one fourth of a circle
• Prefix: re-
  Meaning: again, backward
  Example: reaction - to render active again
• Prefix: retro-
  Meaning: behind, backward
  Example: Retroflexion - bending backwards
• Prefix: semi-
  Meaning: half
  Example: Semicomatose - a state of half consciousness
• Prefix: sub-
  Meaning: under, inferior
  Example: Subcutaneous - beneath the skin
• Prefix: super-
  Meaning: more than, above, superior
  Example: supersonic - greater than the speed of sound
• Prefix: supra-
  Meaning: above, over
  Example: supraanal - above the anus
• Prefix: syl-, sym-, syn-, sys-
  Meaning: together
  Example: Symbiosis - mutual interdependence
• Prefix: tachy-
  Meaning: fast
  Example: Tachycardia - rapid heartbeat
• Prefix: trans-
  Meaning: across, through
  Example: transplant - to transfer from one part to another
• Prefix: ultra-
  Meaning: beyond, excessive
  Example: ultrasonic - sound waves at higher frequencies than sound
• Prefix: un-
  Meaning: not
  Example: unconscious - not conscious
• Prefix: uni-
  Meaning: one
  Example: union - joining of two parts into one