Medical Terminology - Lesson 1 - Prefixes

Front 1

a- (an- before a vowel or h)

Back 1

not, without, lacking, deficient

Front 2

anti- (ant- often before a vowel or h; hyphenated before i)

Back 2

against, opposed to, preventing, relieving

Front 3

di- (rarely dis-)

Back 3

two, twice, double

Front 4

dys-

Back 4

difficult, painful, defective, abnormal

Front 5

ec- (ex- before a vowel)

Back 5

out of, away from

Front 6

ecto- (ect- often before a vowel)

Back 6

outside of

Front 7

en- (em- before b, m, and p)

Back 7

in, into, within

Front 8

endo-, ento- (end-, ent- before a vowel)

Back 8

within

Front 9

epi- (ep- before a vowel or h)

Back 9

upon, over, above

Front 10

exo-

Back 10

outside, from the outside, toward the outside

Front 11

hemi-

Back 11

half, partial; (often) one side of the body

Front 12

hyper-

Back 12

over, above, excessive, beyond normal

Front 13

hypo- (hyp- before a vowel or h)

Back 13

under, deficient, below normal

Front 14

mono- (mon- before a vowel or h)

Back 14

one, single

Front 15

peri-

Back 15

around, surrounding

Front 16

syn- (sym- before b, p, and m; the n assimilates or is dropped before s)

Back 16

together, with, joined

Front 17

ab- (a- rarely before certain consonants; abs- before c and t)

Back 17

away from

Front 18

ad- (ac- before c; af- before f; ag- before g; al- before l; am- before n; ap- before p; as- before s; a- before sp; at- before t)

Back 18

to, toward

Front 19

ambi-

Back 19

both

Front 20

amphi, ampho-

Back 20

on both sides, around, both

Front 21

ana-

Back 21

up, back, against

Front 22

ante-

Back 22

before, forward

Front 23

apo-

Back 23

away from

Front 24

bi- (bin-, bis-)

Back 24

two, twice, double, both

Front 25

cata- (cat- before a vowel or h)

Back 25

downward; disordered

Front 26

circum-

Back 26

around

Front 27

con- (co- before h; col- before l; com- before e, m, and p; cor- before r)

Back 27

together, with; thoroughly, very

Front 28

contra-

Back 28

against, opposite

Front 29

de-

Back 29

down, away from, absent

Front 30

dia- (di- before a vowel)

Back 30

through, across, apart

Front 31

eso-

Back 31

within, inner, inward

Front 32

eu-

Back 32

good, normal, healthy

Front 33

ex- (e- before certain consonants; ef- before f)

Back 33

out of, away from

Front 34

extra- (rarely extro-)

Back 34

on the outside, beyond

Front 35

heter-, hetero-

Back 35

different, other, relationship to another

Front 36

homo-, homeo-

Back 36

same, likeness

Front 37

in- (il- before l; im- before b, m, and p; ir- before r)

Back 37

in, into

Front 38

in- (il- before l; im- before b, m, and p; ir- before r)

Back 38

not

Front 39

in- (il- before l; im- before b, m, and p; ir- before r)

Back 39

very, thoroughly

Front 40

infra-

Back 40

beneath, below

Front 41

inter-

Back 41

between

Front 42

intra- (rarely intro-)

Back 42

within

Front 43

meta- (met- before a vowel or h)

Back 43

change, transformation, after, behind

Front 44

mult- (often multi-)

Back 44

many, much, affecting many parts

Front 45

non-

Back 45

not

Front 46

ob- (oc- before c; op- before p)

Back 46

against, toward; very, thoroughly

Front 47

para- (often par- before a vowel)

Back 47

alongside, around, abnormal, beyond

Front 48

per- (pel- before l)

Back 48

through; very, thoroughly

Front 49

post-

Back 49

after, following, behind

Front 50

pre-

Back 50

before, in front of

Front 51

pro-

Back 51

before

Front 52

pro-

Back 52

forward, in front

Front 53

pros-, prosth-

Back 53

in place of

Front 54

re-

Back 54

back, again

Front 55

retro-

Back 55

backward, in back, behind

Front 56

se-

Back 56

apart, away from

Front 57

semi-

Back 57

half

Front 58

sub- (suf- before f; sup- before p)

Back 58

under

Front 59

super- (often supra-)

Back 59

over, above; excess

Front 60

trans-

Back 60

across, through

Front 61

ultra-

Back 61

beyond, excess