Table of Content
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| What are Prefixes? Types & List of Prefixes |
What are prefixes?
- Negative Prefixes
- Numeral Prefixes
- Prefix of degree or size
- Prefix of Place
- Prefix of Time and Order
- Prefix Of Attitude
- Derogatory prefixes
- Reversative Prefixes
1. Negative Prefixes: Negative Prefixes are the opposite of any word.
These are the Prefixes used to express opposite meaning of something .
un,
non, im, in, dis, a etc. are Negative Prefixes added to any word to indicate the meaning of lacking,
not, without, etc.
Examples:
un-
- able- unable
- comfortable- uncomfortable
- healthy- unhealthy
- fair- unfair
- real- unreal
- useful- unusual
in-
- accurate- inaccurate
- compatible- incompatible
- correct- incorrect
- decent- indecent
- sane- insane
im-
- moral- immoral
- perfect- imperfect
- possible- impossible
- polite- impolite
- pure- impure
ir-
- rational- irrational
- regular-irregular
Most
common Negative Prefixes are:
unhappy, unkind, unreliable, impossible, nonsense, disappoint, disorient, abiotic, atheist, insane etc.
2. Numeral Prefixes: These Prefixes are also known as Number Prefixes and are derived from numbers.
uni, mono (only
one), bi, di (two), tri (three), multi, poly (many) are known as Numeral or Number Prefixes.
Examples:
- purpose- multipurpose
- functional- multi-functional
- molecular- multi-molecular
- regional- multi-regional
- propylene- polypropylene
- morphism- polymorphism
Common Prefix of Numeral or Number are:
diameter, kilometer, Multistory, pentagon,
triangle, tricolor, uniform, dioxide, etc
3. Prefix of degree or size: These Prefixes indicates the size of something.
Super (above,
more than, beyond), out (to do faster, longer), semi, sub, micro, mega, mini (under, lower than), over (too much), under, hyper, ultra, arch are known
as Prefix
of degree or size.
Common Prefix of Degree or Size are : miniskirt, microorganism, outrun, outlive,superman, semicircle, underprivileged, ultraviolet, ultramodern etc.
4. Prefix of Place: These are the Prefixes used to form words to indicate position of any person, place or something.
Trans (across, change), inter (between, among), sub (under, lower than) are known as Prefix of Place.
Common
Prefix of Place are:
international, sub-inspector, transplant, submarine, subway, inter-school, etc.
Pre, fore (before), post (after), ex (former), re (again) are known as Prefix of Time and Order.
Common Prefix of Time and Order are: Pre-war, post-war, ex-husband, ex-wife, ex-student, re-exam, repair, rebuild, forehead, forefather etc.
co (with, together, jointly), counter (against), anti (against, opposite, contrary to), pro (before) are known as Prefix of Attitude.
Common
Prefix of Attitude are:
Coeducation, antisocial, antiseptic, counterpart, pronoun, produce etc.
7. Derogatory prefixes: These are the Prefixes used to form words to express a lack of respect for something or low opinion of something.
Mis(bad, wrong),male(bad, badly), mal(bad, ill) are known as Derogatory prefixes.
Common
Derogatory Prefixes are:
mislead, misconduct, malpractice, malnutrition, malefactor, malediction, etc.
Common
Reversative Prefixes are:
deactivate, descend, demerit, disagree, disallow, unkind, unhappy, etc.
Note: Some prefixes i.e. ‘be’, ‘il’ etc. are used in both positive or negative cases as:
Beheaded-negative and beside-positive
Illegal, illiterate-negative and illustrate-positive
List of Some Important Prefixes
|
Prefix With Meaning |
Word |
Example |
|
a(lacking, not, without) |
moral, biotic, theist, pathy |
amoral, abiotic, atheist, apathy |
|
a(on, in) |
bed, sleep, way |
abed, asleep, away |
|
ab(removed, not, away from) |
normal, use, sent |
abnormal, abuse, absent |
|
ac(to) |
count |
account |
|
an(without, not, lacking) |
aerobic, acoustic, hydrous |
anaerobic, anacoustic, anhydrous |
|
all |
most, ready, together |
almost, already, altogether |
|
ante(before) |
chamber, cipation |
antechamber, anticipation |
|
Arch(leader, chief) |
Angel, bishop |
Archangel, archbishop |
|
anti(against, opposite, contrary to) |
biotic, freeze, dote, social, septic |
antibiotic, antifreeze, antidote, antisocial, antiseptic |
|
archae(ancient) |
logist |
archaelogist |
|
auto(one’s self, self) |
graph, mobile, biography, nomy |
autograph, autobiography, autonomy |
|
be(negative) |
headed |
beheaded |
|
be(by, positive) |
side, little, friend |
Beside, belittle, befriend |
|
bi(two, twice) |
sect, cycle, lateral, lingual |
bisect, bicycle, bilateral, biennial, bilingual |
|
bene(well) |
factor, volent |
benefactor, benevolent |
|
circum(round) |
ference,navigate, locution |
circumference, circumlocution, circumnavigate, |
|
|
|
|
Prefixes continue......
|
Prefix With Meaning |
Word |
Example |
|
co(with, together, jointly) |
exist, operate, education, worker, pilot |
coexist, cooperate, co-pilot, coeducation, co-worker |
|
con(with, together) |
found, fluence |
confound, confluence |
|
contra, counter(against) |
diction, action, part |
contradiction, counteraction, counterpart |
|
de(down, undo, reverse) |
activate, scend, merit, train, generate |
deactivate, descend, demerit, degenerate |
|
deca(ten) |
gon, logue |
decagon, Decalogue |
|
di(twice) |
oxide |
dioxide |
|
dia(through) |
meter, gonal |
diameter, diagonal |
|
dis(separate, apart, not) |
agree, allow, connect, join, honour, orient |
disagree, disallow, disconnect, disjoin, dishonour, disorient |
|
en(in, put into) |
act, cage, case, large, joy, courage |
enact, encage, encase, enlarge, enjoy, encourage |
|
em(into) |
brace |
embrace |
|
equi(equal) |
distant, valent, librium |
equidistant, equivalent, equilibrium |
|
ex(out of , former) |
boss, tract, student, wife |
Ex-boss, extract, ex-student, ex-wife |
|
fore(before) |
tell, finger, head, father, cast, finger |
foretell, forefinger, forehead, forefather, forecast, forefinger |
|
hemi(half) |
sphere |
hemisphere |
|
hepta(seven) |
gon, tarchy |
heptagon, heptarchy |
|
|
|
|
|
hetero (different) |
generous, dox |
heterogeneous, heterodox |
|
hexa (six) |
gon, meter |
hexagon, hexameter |
|
homo(same) |
geneous, nym, phone, sexual |
homogeneous, homonym, homophone, homosexual |
|
hyper(beyond, above) |
acidity, sensitive, tension, active |
hyper-acidity,hypersensitive, hypertension, hyperactive |
|
hypo(under) |
thesis |
hypothesis |
|
|
|
|
Prefixes continue......
|
Prefix With Meaning |
Word |
Example |
|
il( not, opposite of) |
legal, literate, |
illegal, illiterate |
|
il (into) |
lustrate |
illustrate |
|
im(into) |
port, polite |
import, impolite |
|
ir (not, opposite) |
regular, responsive, relevant, rational |
irregular, irresponsive, irrelevant, irrational |
|
in (lacking, not, opposite) |
justice, complete, visible, convenient, active |
injustice, incomplete, invisible, inconvenient,
inactive |
|
Inter(between, among) |
national |
international |
|
mal(bad, ill) |
practice, nutrition |
malpractice, malnutrition |
|
mal(bad) |
factor, diction |
malefactor, malediction |
|
mega(large, massive) |
phone, dose, byte |
megaphone, mega-dose, megabyte |
|
meta(change) |
morphisms |
metamorphosis |
|
mid(middle, midpoint) |
night, season, term |
midnight, midseason, midterm |
|
mini(little) |
skirt, bus |
miniskirt, minibus |
|
mis(bad, wrong) |
lead, conduct, use fortune, understand |
mislead, misconduct, misuse misfortune,
misunderstand |
|
mono(alone, one) |
logue, plane |
monologue, monoplane |
|
Multi(many) |
Storey, racial, national, effected |
Multi-storey,
multiracial, multinational, multi- effected |
|
mega(large, massive) |
phone, dose, byte |
megaphone, mega-dose, megabyte |
|
non(not) |
sense, stop |
nonsense, nonstop |
|
omni(all, universal) |
potent, science, vorous |
omnipotent, omniscience, omnivorous |
|
out(to do faster,longer) |
run, live |
outrun, outlive |
|
over(too much) |
cooked, done |
overcooked, overdone |
|
|
|
|
Prefixes
continue......
|
Prefix With Meaning |
Word |
Example |
|
pan(all) |
theism |
pantheism |
|
Poly(many) |
syllable, carbonate, urethane |
polysyllable, poly-carbonate, polyurethane |
|
post(after) |
mortem, war, script |
post-mortem, post-war, postscript |
|
pre(before) |
fix, independence, pay, war |
prefix, pre-independence, prepay, prewar |
|
peri(round) |
meter |
perimeter |
|
pro(or) |
noun |
pronoun, produce |
|
pre(before) |
fix, school |
prefix, preschool |
|
re(again, back) |
discover, act, join, build, consider, write |
rediscover, react, rejoin, rebuild, reconsider,
rewrite |
|
semi(half) |
circle, colon, final |
semicircle, semicolon, semifinal |
|
sub(under, lower than) |
way, committee, marine, ordinate |
subway, subcommittee, submarine, subordinate |
|
super(above, more than) |
man, natural, fine |
superman, supernatural, superfine |
|
sur(above) |
mount |
surmount |
|
sym(with) |
pathy |
sympathy |
|
to(this) |
day, night |
today, tonight |
|
trans(across, change) |
port, form, plant, gender, late |
transport, transform, translate, transplant,
transgender |
|
tri(three) |
angle, pod, cycle |
triangle, tripod, tricycle |
|
ultra(beyond, extremely) |
modern, liberal, violet |
ultramodern, ultra-liberal, ultraviolet |
|
Under(not enough) |
privileged |
underprivileged |
|
uni(one) |
form, lateral |
uniform, unilateral |
|
un(not, opposite) |
able, armed, happy, willing, worthy, kind,
responsive |
unable, unarmed, unwilling, unworthy, unkind,
unhappy, unresponsive |
|
vice(in the place of, deputy) |
president, principal, chancellor |
vice-president, vice principal, vice-chancellor |