Prefix

Prefix Meaning Examples
a- also an- not, without atheist, anaemic

a- to, towards aside, aback
in the process of, in a particular state a-hunting, aglow

a- of anew
completely abashed

ab- also abs- away, from abdicate, abstract

ad- also a-, ac-, af-, ag- al-, an-, ap-, at- as-, at- movement to, change into, addition or increase advance, adulterate, adjunct, ascend, affiliate, affirm, aggravate, alleviate, annotate, apprehend, arrive, assemble, attend

ante- before, preceding antecedent, ante-room

anti- also ant- opposing, against, the opposite anti-aircraft, antibiotic, anticlimax, Antarctic

be- all over, all around bespatter, beset
completely bewitch, bemuse
having, covered with bejewelled
affect with (added to nouns) befog
cause to be (added to adjectives) becalm

com- also co-, col-, con-, cor- with, jointly, completely combat, codriver, collude, confide, corrode

contra- against, opposite contraceptive

counter- opposition, opposite direction counter-attack, counteract

de- down, away descend, despair, depend, deduct
completely denude, denigrate
removal, reversal de-ice, decamp

dia- also di- through, across diagonal

dis- also di- negation, removal, expulsion disadvantage, dismount, disbud, disbar

en- also em- put into or on engulf, enmesh
bring into the condition of enlighten, embitter
intensification entangle, enrage

ex- also e-, ef- out exit, exclude, expand
upward exalt, extol
completely excruciate, exasperate
previous ex-wife

extra- outside, beyond extracurricular

hemi- half hemisphere

hyper- beyond, more than, more than normal hypersonic, hyperactive

hypo- under hypodermic, hypothermia

in- also il-, im- not, without infertile, inappropriate, impossible
also il-, im-, ir- in, into, towards, inside influence, influx, imbibe

infra- below infrared, infrastructure

inter- between, among interact, interchange

intra- inside, within intramural, intravenous

non- absence, negation non-smoker, non-alcoholic

ob- also oc-, of-, op- blocking, against, concealing obstruct, occult, offend, oppose

out- surpassing, exceeding outperform
external, away from outbuilding, outboard

over- excessively, completely overconfident, overburdened, overjoyed
upper, outer, over, above overcoat, overcast

peri- round, about perimeter

post- after in time or order postpone

pre- before in time, place, order or importance pre-adolescent, prelude, precondition

pro- favouring, in support of pro-African
acting for proconsul
motion forwards or away propulsion
before in time, place or order prologue

re- again repaint, reappraise, reawake

semi- half, partly semicircle, semi-conscious
sub- also suc-, suf-, sug-, sup-, sur-, sus- at a lower position submarine, subsoil
lower in rank sub-lieutenant
nearly, approximately sub-tropical

syn- also sym- in union, acting together synchronize, symmetry

trans- across, beyond transnational, transatlantic
into a different state translate

ultra- beyond ultraviolet, ultrasonic
extreme ultramicroscopic

un- not unacceptable, unreal, unhappy, unmanned
reversal or cancellation of action or state unplug, unmask

under- beneath, below underarm, undercarriage
lower in rank undersecretary
not enough underdeveloped