Latin Origin

PREFIX

MEANING

EXAMPLES

ab (a, abs)

from, off, away

abdicate, abnormal, averse

ad (ac, af, ag, al, an, ap, ar, as, at)

to, toward, near, very

adverse, advocate, accede, affiliate, aggression, allude, annul, appear, arrogate, assent

ambi

both

ambidextrous, ambivalent

ante

before, previous

antecedent, antedate, ante

bene

well, good

benison, benefit, beneficiary

bi

two, twice

biennial, bilateral, bisect

circum

around

circumvent, circumspect

com (co, col, con, cor)

with, together, very, jointly

compare, complicate, coexist, collate, concentrate, corrupt

contra (contro, counter)

against, opposing

contradict, contravene, contrast, controversy, counter

de

away, opposed, off, down

demure, demolish, debark

demi

half

demigod, demitasse, demimonde

dis (di, dif)

away, out, apart from, reversal of, opposite of, down

dissent, dispel, digress, divert, diffuse, diffident, discourse, discuss, dislike

ex (e, ec, ef)

away, from, out, without, missing, former

excise, eccentric, expel, eject, efface, ex-wife

extra (extro, exo)

outside, beyond

extramural, extrovert, exoskeleton, extravagant

in (ig, il, im, ir)

not, opposing

incapable, insoluble, illicit, improvident, irrational, ignoble

in (il, im, ir)

in, into, within

induct, irrigate, immigrate

inter

among, between

intercede, intermittent

intro, intra

inwardly, to the inside, within

introvert, introduce, intravenous, intrastate

mal

bad, evil, wrong, ill

malady, malignant, malcontent

multi

many

multimillionaire, multiply

non

not

nonentity, nonessential

ob (oc, of, op)

over, against, toward, very, upon

obtrude, obstruct, occlude, offend, oppose, obloquy

per

through, thoroughly, completely

permeate, perspicuous, pernicious, percolate

post

after, later, behind, following

postlude, postpone, postscript

pre

before, earlier, in front of

preclude, prevent, predicate, precursor

pro

earlier, before, in front of, in place of, favoring, forward

protract, proponent, pronoun, profuse, proceed, pro-Anglo

re

back, backward, again

revoke, recede, recur, repeat

retro

back, backward

retrospect, retroactive

se

away, aside, away from

secede, seduce, seclude

semi

half, partly

semiannual, semicircular

sub (suc, suf, sub, sum, sup, sus)

under, beneath, lower, less

subjugate, subsist, succinct, suffuse, suggest, supplant, sustain, subsidy, subtle

super, sur

over, above, extra, to a degree greater than normal

superscript, supersede, supervise, surtax, surname

trans, tra

across, beyond, through

transfuse, transient, traduce

ultra

beyond, excessive

ultramodern, ultraviolet

uni

one

unicellular, unicorn, unite