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PREFIXES

Prefix

Meaning

Ab

away from

Examples
Abstain, Abjure, Abstemious,
Abduct

Ad

toward

Advise, Adhere, Admonish

An

without, not

Atheist, Anarchy, Atypical

Ante

before

Auto

self

Be

make

Bi

two

Bigamy, Biennial, Bifocal

Bio

life

Biology, Biometrics

Co

with

Cooperate, Committee

Con, Com

with, together

Antecedent, Antebellum
Autopilot, Autocracy
Begrudge, Begrime, Bemoan, Belie

Converge, Compact, Confluence,

Concatenate

Contra

against

De

off, away from

Contravene, Contradict, Contralto

Defame, Devalue, Dehydrate,
Decompose

Dis, Dys

not, away

Disparity, Dyslexia, Distemper,

Dysfunctional

Epi

upon, among

Epidermis, Epidemic

Equi

Equal

Ex

out, away

Expulsion, Exhale, Exude

Hetero

different

Heterogeneity, Heterodoxy

Homo

Same

Homonym, Homogenized

Equilibrium, Equitable, Equinox

Hyper

over, above

Hyperthermia, Hyperactive

Hypo

under, below

Hypotension, Hypodermic,
Hypothermia

In, Il, Ir

not

Incredible, Illegible

In, Im

into

Input, Implicate

Inter

between

Intra

within

Mag

big

Magnanimous, Magnificent

Mal

bad

Malady, Malinger, Malevolent

Mis

wrong, bad

Neo, Nov

new

Ob

against

Omni

all, every

Para

besides, resembling

Peri

around

Post

after

Pre

before

Interlude, Intervene, International

Intravenous, Intramural

Miscreant, Misanthrope
Neolithic, Novelty
Obstinate, Obstruct, Obdurate
Omnipotent, Omniscient
Paramedic, Paraphrase, Parallel
Periscope, Perimeter
Posterior, Posthumous
Preamble, Premonition , Precede,
Prelude

Pro

support, forward

Profess, Proposal, Progress

Re

again

Sub

under, below

Super

over, above

Sym, Syn

together

Symmetry, Sympathy

Uni

one

Unity, Unify, Universe

Remodel, Report, Revise

Subservient, Subvert, Submerge
Supersede, Superimpose