Common Prefixes

Front 1

subcommittee

sub =

Back 1

under

a subcommittee works under the authority of another.

The hiring committee asked 2 of its members to form a subcommittee to review all the applications for the job.

Front 2

prehistoric

pre = ?

Back 2

before

something happening before written histories were kept.

Some atchaeologists study the bones of prehistoric animals to find out what the world was like long, long ago.

Front 3

intercontinental

inter = ?

Back 3

between

happening between continents.

Intercontinental travel has become much more common as air travel has become easier and less expensive.

Front 4

disengage

dis = ?

Back 4

the opposite of

if "engage" means to get involved with something, then "disengage" means to stop being involved.

Students listening to the very long lecture eventually disengaged. You could see their thoughts were elsewhere.

Front 5

overreact

over = ?

Back 5

above, too much

To react too strongly to something.

When I heard the news, I was so upset I cried for hours. I realize now I was overreacting.

Front 6

misconception

mis = ?

Back 6

wrong, bad

Most new college students have the misconception that they will have much more free time in college than they did in high school. The problem with this is that there is 3 times as much homework in college as in high school.

Front 7

empower

em = ?

Back 7

em = in, put into

to give power to someone, to give a person a sense of his/her own power.

Developing the skills to become an independent, life-long learner is empowering. It means you know how to learn what you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it.